


The Hornet of Red Square

by Scarlet_Claws



Category: Vocaloid
Genre: Alternate Universe - Angels & Demons, Angst, Art, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bisexuality, Blood and Gore, Demons, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Sexual Content, GakuKai, I have no shame, Lima Syndrome, M/M, Non Explicit Hetero Sex and Explicit Homo Sex, Oviposition, Promiscuity, Prostitution, Rape Threats, Romance, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Song: Venomania-kou no Kyouki | The Lunacy of Duke Venomania, Stockholm Syndrome, Teratophilia, Unhealthy Relationships, Wet Dream, but I ignore the rest of the evillious series, eggplant and his eggs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2020-01-04 19:08:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 38
Words: 114,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18349892
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlet_Claws/pseuds/Scarlet_Claws
Summary: Takes place after "the Lunacy of Duke Venomania."Kaito had not been expecting to end up in hell after he died, but a murder is a murder, even one committed in the name of justice. However, right as he is about to be thrown into a pit of fire, a familiar face steps in and claims him as his pupil. Yet he has no good intentions... only a desire for revenge in the most personal way possible.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is written as a continuation to "the Lunacy of Duke of Venomania." If you have never heard about it, I strongly recommend that you watch it before continuing. It won't be a waste of your time; that is the song that made me love Gakupo most out of all the Vocaloids. 
> 
> Said song is part of the Evillious series, and there are several mangas that elaborate on said series. However, for the sake of simplicity, this fanfiction only takes into account what can be inferred from the song and the song alone. There is no need to go read or watch anything more than this single clip to understand the plot. 
> 
> Please read the tags. They contain warnings. 
> 
> Questions you might have! 
> 
> Q: Do you take critique/feedback, even negative?  
> A: Absolutely! This is the first draft. I'm blind when it comes to typos and eager to get better by getting to know my flaws. Whatever you say, I promise that you can't roast me more than some other critique I had in the past. So have at it! Or just drop by the comments to say hi. I'd love to make more friends on here and I don't bite. You can call me Lili!
> 
> Q: It's written that there will be 45(+) chapters in the summary. Is that true?  
> A: Maybe. It's a bare minimum. It's not all written but it's planned, and knowing myself this number is bound to get higher.
> 
> Q: Where did you get the little comic at the end of the "Elind and Karl" chapter?  
> A: I did it! All the art on my fanfics is by me unless stated otherwise. Lyroa is my artist pseud. 
> 
> Q: Please update?  
> (I don't actually mind please update comments, they actually motivate me.) I actually don't have a planning for updates and, while I'm writing every day, I'm actually managing 4 different stories at the time of writing this. This fic, however, tends to be my highest priority when it comes to posting.

She paused.

She turned her head ever-so-slightly but didn't even look at him. He couldn't see her eyes - he just wanted to see her eyes, her beautiful green eyes. For a second he thought that she might look at him one last time.

But she turned away and ran. Nothing, no lingering attachment, remained now that the spell was broken, now that he wasn't beautiful anymore. He had always been nothing to her, dirt on the tip of her shoe; to think that it wouldn't have ended any differently was a folly. He would have laughed at how miserable he was, but he only coughed up purple blood, that spilled on the ground in front of him.

Life was unfair. He should have known from the start that people like him were simply not meant to be happy, no matter the price they paid to obtain an illusion of this happiness. Had this pact with the devil even been worth it, when it could all be taken from him in an instant? He doubted that now. Even during the most intense fits of passion, he still remembered that they were all under his spell, that they couldn't possibly love the true him.

He thought of the man that had killed him. Life was unfair indeed. This murderer would never know what it was to be ugly and lonely: one look at his beautiful face told Gakupo just that. He had even thought him to be a woman, and the irony of his punishment was like the cruelest of jokes. Curse him, whoever he was! Of course this other man would want to kill him - people hated what they couldn't understand, and that murderer couldn't have understood the loneliness in Gakupo's heart. Never had the duke hated anyone more than this stranger.

There was a slow clapping from the shadows.

"Bravo, my dear, excellent work," said the demon of lust as he emerged from the shadows. "It was a grand show."

He was a beautiful man, with thin, elegant features and a royal air to him. He was slim but with wide shoulders, looking down on the human with eyes half shielded by long lashes. Never had Gakupo seen a man so beautiful, one that made him want to taste the forbidden fruit of pleasure with another male body. Even his demonic features enhanced the temptation: bat-link wings emerged from his back, cooked hooves from the bottom of his pants and impressive horns from the top of his head. But the most dangerous thing about him was the aura of lust that emanated from the creature, an aura that drew his preys in and made them want to adore him on their knees, like a god. For all he had given to him, he might as well have been Gakupo's god.

Fear filled the human: it was time for the demon to collect his due.

"I do not believe that I thought that it would be useful to give you my name on our last encounter," said the creature, stopping a few steps away from Gakupo. "I am Asmodeus, the Lord of Lust, one of the seven rulers of all demons everywhere."

Gakupo's eyes widened. Even him, a mortal, knew this name. The creature had told him that he was "a demon of lust," which, fair enough, was important, but he would have never guessed him to be _the_ Lord of Lust. What could a simple mortal like him have done, that he might be of interest to such an important figure?

"I see that it strikes a bell," continued Asmodeus. "Good! I would have been offended otherwise. You must be wondering how someone like me might even get interested in someone like you. All you need to know was that you were lucky, and you proved to be more interesting than what I had predicted, Gakupo, and that is rare. I am quite satisfied with your performance - you are indeed talented at putting on a show. A shame that you needed my powers to acquire beauty, or then you would have turned into the most fascinating man of all of the nobility - but then you wouldn't have needed my services."

As the demon talked, the mortal felt his own death take a hold of him, and both the demon and his flow of words have been gradually fading into the void. Or maybe he was the one that was fading.

"I'll just go over the formalities," continued Asmodeus. "As per our contract, I have all the rights a demon can have on your soul, now that you are dying. I suppose that you can guess this much. I can throw you in a pit of fire, or I can have you served for dinner, and, as you have signed your rights away, you will do nothing about it. If you try to break your part of the deal by, let us say, resisting, you will feel yourself tear up from the inside until you do get split into multiple pieces, and believe me when I tell you that the pain is absolutely excruciating - among one of the worse that you can experience even in the deepest, darkest realm of hell. In other words, you have no other choice but to do as I say, and this for a duration of time that is proportionate to the amount of my powers that you used, which in your case... would make something like eighty years. Which is remarkable, considering you had them at your disposal for only six months."

The poison was working its foul disease on Gakupo's body, yet even as his vision darkened and purple spilled further and further on the carpet the demon seemed unfazed. The terms only vaguely made sense in the human's mind. He recognized it all, and knew it all related to events he had accomplished during his life, but did it really matter?

"Ah, I think he's leaving us," said Asmodeus, talking to seemingly no one. "Let us wait."

Finally, there was a little silence. Gakupo closed his eyes and sighed, and with that sigh exited his last breath.

He had the oddest sensation of falling, falling, falling until he was standing on something hard. He opened his eyes slowly and found that he was now standing near a corpse - his corpse. Looking at himself laying there was odd, and he stayed dumbfound for a few moments before looking away from the mess that had once been his mortal flesh, examining his new appearance. He recognized his own body, but it was draped in a white cloth, made in a material that he had never seen before: so light that he barely felt it, and slightly transparent, but only enough to let the outlines of his body be guessed through it. He wore nothing under, and his long purple hair was undone. He reached up for his face and, with horror, felt his old deformities. The crooked nose, the split lip--

No! It wasn't possible. He was dead. How could this follow him in the afterlife? He had made a contract with the demon of lust so that he could become beautiful. He refused to deal with this nightmare again. There couldn't have been a worth punishment in death!

"Ah, no need to look this distressed, dear Gakupo," said Asmodeus as he crept closer. The demon gently pushed the human's hand away from his face. "There are ways to fix you, and you will have access to them. And this time, they will be permanent."

Gakupo looked up at the hellish creature, hope filling his greedy heart. "I want my true face back."

"You shall have it," replied Asmodeus with a cat-like grin. "Granted that you do a little something for me... Miku, come forth."

Gakupo turned around just as a second demon emerged from the shadows. She passed right by him without a glance and kneeled in front of Asmodeus, bowing her head in reverence.

She looked young, but Gakupo already knew that this shouldn't fool him. Her hair was the softest, most remarkable shade of blue and tied up in twin tails by silky ribbons. She was small in size and delicate in appearance, just like a snowflake. She had no demonic features, or maybe they were all hidden under her satin gown.

"Rise, my dear," said Asmodeus. "I think that our friend wants to look at you."

She obeyed and turned to Gakupo. He met her gaze. There was nothing but ice in it, cold and distant with a touch of disdain. He could feel them eyes trail over his deformities, surveying them, measuring them and judging them. This unnerved him. He had to gather his will so that he wouldn't flinch away from her examination - something about her made showing weaknesses repulsive.

"Because you made a contract with a demon, don't need to bother with trivialities such as going through the Hall of Judgement - your soul is, by default, deemed sinful - and belong to me," explained Asmodeus, "but I am too busy to take care of you personally. Luckily, Miku Hastune here expressed her interest in working on you. Believe me when I tell you that this relationship can only be mutually beneficial."

Gakupo looked at the woman, then at the man. "So, you are saying that I won't burn in the pits with the damned?"

"You are going to wish you were sent there," said Miku.

The human stared back at her in shock. "How come?"

"Master Asmodeus, I must express my feelings on this, forgive me," she said, ignoring Gakupo's question. "I am only taking this project for the artistic challenge. You have advised me to watch this man and get to know him, yet I have seen nothing from him so far that I like, save for his taste in aesthetics."

"Oh. That sounds quite harsh, Miku," said the Lord of Lust. "Why so?"

"Must I point out the obvious?" She sneered. She was smaller than Gakupo, yet still managed to look at him down her nose. "The man died right in front of us because he abused the powers that you offered him. He brought attention to himself by taking all the pretty women of the land to his basement. He should have gone for four, maybe five of them at most, exchanging them with others when he grew bored of them, yet he didn't. He hoarded them - and a hoard always attracts thieves, or the rightful owners of the stolen goods."

"Stolen goods?" Asmodeus laughed. "You talk of those ladies as if they were objects."

"To him, they might have been," she snarled. "And that's another reason why I dislike him."

"Ah," said the Lust Lord. He smirked. "I personally think that he went out in my favorite way: taking it all, and living a short life where he only seeks to sate every single one of his desires. Yes, that is the type of people that I favor, but I can see where you are coming from in your hate of him and his ways. I take it that you are glad to be the administrator of his punishment?"

Miku smiled. It wasn't a pretty one: it was cruel and triumphant, a real demon smile. This was answer enough.

"What is going to happen to me?" Asked Gakupo.

She cast her eyes on him, disdainful, and sneered. "Becoming a demon is no idle process. You will have wings and a tail, but those will be sown in your very flesh. And for you, there will be no anesthesia."

"What?" cried the human.

"What?" repeated Asmodeus, before bursting in laughter. "Oh, those humans are priceless. They make pacts with the devil, yet they are always surprised to hear that they have to pay the price. Gakupo, dearest creature, my dearest possession, don't frown so. When all will be done, you will be quite glad about the results. Miku is a brilliant flesh crafter... and a crafty woman, and a wonderful singer."

"You flatter me, my Lord."

"But I don't want a tail and some wings," protested the human, "I'm fine as I am."

"They shall not be just any tail and wings," said Miku as she stepped closer. "I'll rip your skin off and replace it with a white shell, that will be polished down until it is as smooth as porcelain, I'll remodel your face, I'll break your legs and stick them back together in the way that is the current fashion, I'll tear your arms in two and rebuild them so that you have four of them. And then, when you will be perfect on the outside..." she leaned in, whispering the last bit. "I'll reach into your gut, and make you into the perfect servant for His Lordship's entertainment. When I am going to be done with you, you will be able to do things that will make the weeks of sex you had with your harem look like a mere warm-up. You can count on that."

Gakupo stumbled back in horror, tripped and fell backward on his ass. She smiled at him when he looked up to her, a cruel, cold smile. Both demons loomed over him.

"How exciting," said Asmodeus. "I can't wait to see the final result. He is going to be the next star of Red Square - what am I saying, of all of Allacard. May I ask about what will inspire you when you work on him? Surely, knowing the way you craft, you have a theme in mind."

"A hornet."

"A hornet? Why..." The Lord of Lust's eyes widened in shock when he figured it out. "A horny hornet. With a nasty stringer. Oh Miku, you are a genius. The titles of his show literally write themselves. Why have I never thought about something like this before myself?" He chuckled.

"But... I don't want to become a hornet." Gakupo looked at Miku, then at Asmodeus. "Please, is there any other way?"

"Quit your whining, pet," she hissed.

"And how long do you think that the whole transformation will take?"

"For a first draft to be completed, we are looking at a few months of work." She sighed. "But your Lordship knows how it goes, there are always adjustments to be made - especially if he's going to be a performer doing acrobatics. I think that I am looking at roughly four years before he is physically perfect, and then that will only be the start of his training proper. You will have to be patient."

"Four years?" Gakupo wasn't sure that he understood what they were talking about, but four years was too long.

"Oh, look at him, he's impatient too," said Asmodeus.

"Oh, believe me when I say this," answered Miku, "but no one will be waiting for the end of it all more than he." She turned to Gakupo and gave him the creepiest smile. "No one."


	2. The Hall of Jugement

Someone had changed the flowers in the vase near the window.

As his end came nearer and nearer, Kaito would start noticing small details like the flowers - things he would ignore before. Everything became important because anything might be the last thing he remembered - he would take nothing but memories on the other side, or so he was told.

Yet he wasn't scared. Not really. He had lived a good life, and he had kept his head clear until the end - not like others, that would go insane as they gained age. Men rarely got to choose the way they died, yet Kaito was lucky enough to do so peacefully, in his bed, surrounded by his family. His sons had come back to see him one last time, and he had even gotten to see his granddaughter, that was two now. He knew that his family would live on without him and this reassured him.

He was so weak that there wasn't much for him to do than sit and rest, and sometimes he would think back to his life. He would remember his wife, the only woman he had loved - until she, after having given him three sons, had run away with another man. He used to be angry at her for leaving, even if he had always known, deep down, that she had married him out of obligation and had never been happy with him. But time had brought him peace and the joy of seeing his children grow into strong adults. He had never taken a second woman, content with remaining single and not wanting to risk a second heartbreak.

His former wife wasn't the only person he would recall. Sometimes his mind was like a clear sky that allowed him to see the distant mountains on the horizon, and he would remember events in his life as if they had occurred yesterday. On those occasions, the face of the man he killed came to him, in dreams or in daydreams.

He quickly chased thoughts of the duke. That had all happened such a long time ago, and he had never regretted killing him. He had rid the land of great evil, and yet he had told no living soul save for his wife, that recalled it all. Yet he couldn't deny that when he looked back at the entirety of his existence, that one event gave it an odd flavor, as if a piece of someone else's life had slipped into his, like pages from one book in the middle of the story of another. He wouldn't linger on the memory, but he would linger on the feeling, trying to piece it together, to explain it, before giving up.

He died quietly, one night when everyone was asleep. By the time they found him in the morning, he was cold.

 

***

 

He felt his soul rise up in the air. Above him was light, pure and beautiful; he felt at peace as he watched it approach him. He was leaving his family and friends behind, yet he was not sad, only melancholic. He wished them a happy life.

His senses, one by one, came back to him. First, it was his sight, and then his hearing; he was standing in a crowd, but they were all surrounded by white mist as if standing behind a veil; whispers crept in the air around him, indistinguishable from one another, like a faraway melody. He was standing in the Hall of Judgment, he knew that without having to be told, and soon he would be seeing his Judge know what would become of him. He waited quietly.

"Hey," called a man, approaching him.

The stranger was young, maybe in his twenties, strong as an ox and just as wide as one too. He wore the strangest clothes, white and slightly transparent, and Kaito was trying to understand what sort of person might wear that when he noticed that all those that stood around him were dressed the same, and so was he. All were equal in death after all.

"What's your story?" asked the man. He didn't seem like he was among the guardians of this place, just a fellow human looking for a chat.

Kaito shrugged. "Oh, nothing too amazing. I was among the nobility, but never did anything of any importance."

The man chuckled. "Oh, nobility. That's funny. I mean, if I would have met you alive and alone, I would have threatened you with a knife to have you hand over your purse. It's not like you were lacking any money to share."

Kaito scoffed. "That would still be unbelievably rude. Were you a crook?"

"No need to look at me like that." The man rose his hands in defense. "I was what you would call a 'crook', I guess. But I wasn't going to muggle you now. I just thought that it was funny to point it out. Death change a lot of things." He shrugged. He looked like he was going to walk away but suddenly recalled something. "Hey, you're a noble, so you studied a bit all the stuff about paradise, right?"

"I was a noble, not a priest," pointed out Kaito.

"But did you?"

"I might have. Why do you ask?" Kaito wasn't sure that he liked the man. He never had had to deal with maurauders, as his land had been peaceful and blessed, but that did not mean that he wanted to sympathize with one.

"Well, I was wondering. I might have, you know, killed a man or two. You know, it's the accidents of the job." The man gave Kaito an apologetic smile. "It happens. I thought that I would have the time to pray for forgiveness later. Do you think that I still can right now?"

Kaito's eyes widened in horror as he slowly backed away. This man was a murderer.

"No need to look at me like that," said the former bandit. "I was just looking for an opinion, not judgment."

Kaito shook his head slowly. "You would need a lifetime."

"What, shit?" The man was going to add something, but he paused suddenly and turned his head the other way as if he had been called. "Oh, no, it's time for me. I don't want... sir, please, help me."

Even if Kaito would have wanted, he would have been unable to do so: the man was fading from view right in front of his eyes, becoming more and more transparent as he spoke.

"I don't want to go to hell, it was all an accident." The former crook's voice was becoming more and more distant. "It was all an accident..."

He was gone.

Kaito shuddered. He had instantly disliked this man, yet he couldn't help but feel pity for him. There was no doubt in his mind on where he would spend the rest of his eternity. At that moment, the former nobleman thought about how lucky he was that he had lived a sinless life. 

Putting the memory of him away, he wandered for a while among the crowd of unknown faces. He was surprised to see that they all looked young - there wasn't anyone that looked over thirty - before he realized that his hands no longer had its bulging veins and knobby knuckles. They had all been brought back to the same age and dressed the same. He thought it to be amusing. Time passed, yet he had no measure to estimate how much time had passed exactly - it might have been days and he would have still been unable to tell. There were always people, no matter how far he walked, yet he spoke to no-one as he waited for his moment.

When he felt the call, he knew without a doubt that this was what he had been waiting for. It came to him in the same way that he was there to wait: he just knew it, yet that knowledge felt as if it had been gently placed in his mind. He didn't struggle or cry out like the bandit had done and simply let himself be carried away. It felt as if he was falling asleep. 

The crowd around him faded and then he was standing in front of the Judge in a place full of mist.

It was impossible to tell if he or she was a man or a woman, for they had ample clothes draping their body and a face that was beautiful yet androgynous. Their eyes were hidden by a cloth but they saluted Kaito's arrival with the smallest of nods.

"I have been waiting for you, Kaito Shion," they said. "I have looked at your life and seen what there was to see. Are you ready for your verdict?"

Kaito thought about the marauder he had met earlier, how he had been taken in front of his very eyes while he cried out for help. "Do I have a choice?"

The Judge smiled kindly. "Well, if you want, we can chat. No one is in a hurry around here. But you won't be leaving until I delivered my sentence upon you."

"We might as well get over it. What will it be?"

"Very well. Allow me to go over the formalities." They took a deep breath, before continuing. "Kaito Shion, you are now standing at the crossroad between world. Should you have conducted yourself justly and faced all your trials with success, you will be able to join the heavens and live a life of felicity or serve among the angels. But if you have wavered and failed from your path, I will have to condemn you to damnation and suffering in the pits of hell - such is the law of this world. Do you accept judgment?"

"I do," replied Kaito.

There was a brief silence before they announced: "The Judge has looked upon you and found you guilty of murder. You are to go to hell to repent."

"Murder?" cried Kaito. "But I've never--"

"Do you deny that you have plunged a poisonous blade into the chest of Gakupo Venomania?" The Judge's voice was enormous now, strong enough to make the ground shake. "That you have left him to bleed out to the floor as you fled?"

"I have, but it was in the name of justice--"

"Don't you dare let that word cross your lips!" they cried, pointing a finger at Kaito's mouth. It closed on its own, forced by an invisible power to do so. "I have looked into your heart, and I have seen your true intentions. You killed him out of jealousy, you wanted the woman you loved for yourself - you claimed her by taking her away from another, and for that, you took his life. Never did you feel shame for what you did - there are bandits that regret their murders more than you have, Kaito Shion. This doesn't change your sentence, but it does take away your right to try and riddle me - I have no patience for those that think they can buy me with pretty words."

The pressure on him grew stronger: now it pushed down on his shoulders and forced him to kneel. He was terrified. Never would he have thought that he was going to be sent to hell, he was but an ordinary man that had done his best with what he had. How could he be sent to damnation?

"The hellhound, guardian of the Hellish Peace, will take you to the pit with the other murderers," said the Judge, their voice back to normal. "Farewell, Kaito Shion."

There was a growl. The human raised his head and saw the hellhound that had come to him, a creature the size of a small cow with a fiery spine and a jaw that opened with two axis - one vertical and one horizontal, with four eyes right on their muzzle. They moved on all four, but their front paws were hands and the sound that came from behind the rows of jagged teeth sounded awfully like the laugh of an intelligent creature. Hellhounds were well named: they were indeed a hellish sight.

Kaito wanted to scream, but his lips were still sealed and he was unable to get away. The monster circled around the Judge, who gave them a scratch behind the ear, before crawling closer to their prey. They licked their lips with their forked tongue.

This was the end.

"Dear Judge, most dear master Guardian, please hold up for a moment while I plead his case," suddenly said a male voice.

The hellhound froze and looked at someone that stood behind Kaito; that someone passed the latter slowly, almost theatrically. He oozed of deus ex machina and everything in his calm demeanor showed that he knew it.

The man was important, or at least he was very rich. He wore expensive leather shoes with high heels, that increased his already dazzling height and perfectly fitting pants that accentuated the curve of his calves. All that came above was hidden by a luxurious coat of a quality Kaito himself had rarely seen. It was impeccably cut in what seemed to be soft cream leather and was doubled with white fur, so fluffy that one might sink an entire hand in it. The design looked like the one of a cape, but it was attached on the front with ivory buttons and with slits on the side for the arms to pass. Its hood was drawn up, hiding the face at all time.

"You, here," said the Judge, surprised. "Out of all the people that might have come for him..."

"Indeed. I believe that, in case such as that, I may make a claim on the damned. Is that correct?"

"This has happened in courts other than mine," said the Judge, "but I believe that you are correct. May I know what you wish to do with him?"

"I'm in the age and situation where it is most suitable for me to chose a pupil, and this man struck my fancy. Do I need any more reasons?"

"I would object that you certainly have other motives, but it is not my role to stand in your way here," replied the Judge. "I trust that you have studied the necessary conditions for your tutorship to be recognized as valid?"

"Of course." The newcomer laughed as if he had been told a joke.

The hellhound growled at the stranger as they looked from him to Kaito continuously. They didn't seem to happy that their prey was being taken from them.

"I am sorry, master Guardian, for the inconvenience," said the man in the coat. "But you see, I have been waiting for this opportunity for a lifetime."

"What is happening?" Suddenly said Kaito, unable to remain silent any longer - and noticing that the hold on his mouth had creased. "Am I going to hell?"

"You are, but you won't be thrown in a pit of fire," said the Judge. "You are now in the care of this man instead, for as long as he sees fit. You may rise, Kaito Shion."

The human got on his two feet. All he understood was that he had somehow been graced, and that was all that mattered. He approached the stranger.

"Thank you, sir," he said.

The man in the coat turned to him and gave him a cruel smile. Kaito stopped in his tracks as the full horror of his situation dawned upon him.

"Don't thank me yet," said the duke of Venomania. "Your punishment has only begun."


	3. On the Way Home

Kaito jerked back like he had been slapped. Never had he imagined that he would find himself face to face with the Duke again, not in his wildest dreams - or nightmares.

"You," he whispered.

"It is I," replied the purple-haired man. He pulled down his hood, revealing his long locks, but also some pointy ears. "Fancy meeting you here."

"What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself," ordered Kaito.

"I'm saving you from eternal damnation. Isn't it obvious?"

"You, saving me?" The blue-haired man sneered. "I don't believe you."

"But it is what happens. Isn't it correct, your Honor?"

"It is," said the Judge. "But if you wish to be sent to damnation instead, no one is holding you back."

Kaito looked at the hellhound, into their four fiery eyes. He could have sworn that the creature was smiling at him, even if it was hard to tell with how monstrous their face was. He shuddered. He had heard tales of how the pits of hell were like his entire life, and he certainly didn't want to spend any time there.

"Surely you are smarter than that," whispered Venomania near his ear.

Kaito jumped away from the other, that had approached him without him noticing, and glared at him. He didn't like this at all, yet it seemed like he didn't have much choice in the matter.

"What will you do to me?" asked Kaito.

"You don't trust me?" the former Duke gave him a large smile, revealing a pair of fangs.

"Trust a man that I have killed? Not a chance."

"You are sending some awfully mixed signals right now, I am confused." Venomania gave him a long, dramatic sigh. "Are you coming with me, or not?"

Kaito bit the inside of his cheek, took one long look at the hellhound, before turning his back to the Judge and their hellish companion. "I don't think that I have a choice."

"Oh, I am so happy you feel this way," said Gakupo, clasping his gloved hands together. "Let us set out at once. Follow me..."

The former duke turned around with a great swirl of his coat and walked away in the glowy white mist that surrounded them, and Kaito had no choice but to follow him. He felt like a peasant next to his richly dressed _savior_ , draped as he was in his shapeless white cloth and barefoot. If he would have been able to choose, this wasn't the attire he would have picked to meet an old enemy.

The slowly emerged from the fog, and Kaito noticed that they were walking down an old dirt road. There was a shape ahead that turned out to be a two-horse carriage, but by the time they were standing near it the human had other things to look at, and he was looking at them in shock.

His attention was first drawn by a great black city that stretched out in every direction save the one in which the sun was setting. The sky was red, but not the natural red of the end of a day: rather, it was the red of an angry scar, of dried blood. Even the dark clouds seemed too jagged and sharp to be called the same thing than the fluffy white things Kaito was used to.

He was so taken by the view that he didn't notice right away that the horses that pulled the carriage were headless and covered in scales. He took a cautionary step back when one of them turned to him, revealing a single black eye in the place the spine should have shown and flickered a lizard-like tongue in his direction.

"Welcome to Allacard," said Venomania with an outstretched hand in the direction of the city. "This is my butler, Arin Simon. Arin, this is Kaito Shion, the man that killed me."

A man came down from the carriage's driver's seat and gave a brief bow to Kaito. He wasn't any older than his thirties, with dusty blond hair and a well-trimmed mustache. Soberly dressed in black, he looked exactly how one would expect a butler to look, down to the way he stood and moved. But he wasn't human. There were dun scales on the side of his face and small horns of the same color that emerged above his forehead.

Just like he had done with the horses, Kaito took a step back. The urge to run back from where he had come from was stronger than ever.

"He's a demon!" he cried, signing himself for protection. "Venomania, have you seen that?"

Arin's face fell at the remark, and when Kaito looked in Gakupo's direction he saw that the latter hiding his mouth with the fur of his collar to mute his chuckles. The purple-haired man couldn't hold it and burst in laughter, the light reflecting itself on his sharp white fangs.

Kaito's face screwed up when he realized that he was the only human present.

"Have I seen my own butler?" Howled Gakupo. He succumbed to a second wave of hilarity before calming down with a long wheeze. "What is it going to be when you realize that I am to teach you to become a demon yourself?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh, don't give me this, my dear," said Venomania, pulling a tissue from his breast pocket to wipe his tears. "You are a pupil in hell. You knew that, you heard me talk to the Judge and saw the landscape - don't tell me that you thought that we were in heaven, not with a sky like this. What else did you think I was going to teach you? Dancing?"

"I'll never learn anything from you, not even dancing," snapped back Kaito.

"If I may," suddenly said the butler, "master Venomania is one of the best dancers of Allacard. Anyone would think it an honor to have him as a dance teacher."

"Oh, Arin, you're so cute when you fly to my defense like that," said Gakupo. "I am indeed, but Kaito certainly did nothing to deserve to learn how to dance."

"That's not the question!" cried the human. "I will not become a demon, I will never!"

"Ah?" Venomania smiled at him. "We shall see about that, but for now, it has been a long day and it is getting late. We are leaving, Arin."

"Right away sir."

The butler opened the door of the carriage for his master, that climbed in, then looked back at Kaito that was stubbornly standing at the same spot.

"Don't bother, Arin," said Gakupo from inside, before leaning out so that his face was visible in the doorway. "Your idiocy can be endearing, Kaito, I'll give you that, but I wouldn't push my luck if I was you. I'm this close to just drive away and leave you to fend on your own."

"I would rather do that than be a demon like you," snarled the human.

The former duke just smiled. Arin looked at both of them, before deciding to obey his master and climb on the seat at the front. Kaito surveyed his surroundings. There wasn't much there apart from some dried up vegetation and dirt, and the city itself didn't look one bit inviting. He didn't even spy a trace of the Hall of Judgement apart from a sign with strange writings on it - he recognized it to be Latin after taking a moment to examin it.

"I will just let you know that there are regular hellhound patrols around here," continued Gakupo, "and if they find a human soul alone they drag them back to the pits. If you want to spend the night there, that's your choice. I'll come and get you in the morning if you can still be found at all."

Kaito huffed but lumbered over, climbed in the carriage and sat opposite to the former duke. The door closed and the demon tapped twice on the roof above him, setting the vehicle in motion.

 

***

 

Gakupo looked at Kaito making himself comfortable across from him with a smirk. This was even easier than he thought it would be. Oh, of course, his little prey had metaphorically dug his heels in the ground, but the demon had come prepared to physically drag him along. Even if he had threatened to do so, there was no way Gakupo would have even let him spend the night anywhere away from him - there were so many things that could happen to him, and the demon was not intrested in spending days to recover him.

Venomania took in a deep breath to calm his rising excitement. He had waited years - a literal lifetime - for this opportunity, and he wouldn't spoil it by showing how gleefully happy he was about it. Kaito didn't trust him, yet he seemed to have no idea about the things the demon had in store for him.

He would learn about it soon enough.

The demon felt the need to make himself more comfortable. One by one, he undid the buttons of his coat, spreading it on the seat beneath him, and pulled his gloves from his hands. He saw Kaito glancing his way quickly, trying to not get noticed, and smirked - he had chosen a low cut shirt for the occasion with a cleavage that went all the way down to his solar plexus. He was certain that the human, with how religious their motherland was, had never seen this much bare male skin in his life.

"Just to make it clear," said blue-haired man after a while. "I will never become a demon."

"Right," replied Gakupo, leaning back on his seat comfortably. "You are just coming with me for a while until you can find another way."

"Exactly."

"What a brilliant plan!" Gakupo clasped his hands. "Only, there is a small problem with it. Of course, it's minor - I would hate to be the one to ruin it."

Kaito frowned. By Asmodeus' horns, he was sort of cute when he was confused. "What sort of problem might that be?"

"Oh, three times nothing. It's just that human souls are not allowed on their own in Allacard, or anywhere in hell for that matter. Should anyone suspect that you are, well, not a demon and on your own, they might report you to the hellhounds, unless..." he grinned and stopped.

"Unless what?"

"Unless they decide to keep you for themselves. Who would notice if you went missing? Anyone might do anything to you. Anything they want..."

"What sort of things?" asked Kaito. He was trying his best to appear nonchalant, but he was obviously starting to worry.

"How would I know? I'm not one of those other demons."

"But you are a demon. What tells me that you will treat me any better than the others?"

Gakupo grinned. This was the one question he had been anticipating more than any other. "Planning on taking your chances with someone else, my dear? What a naughty boy you are. Are you certain that you can afford such a risk?"

"You are the last man in all of hell I would trust with my life. Nobody can possibly be worth than you."

Gakupo rose his brows. "No one? Really?"

"I am certain of it. To put it bluntly..." The human leaned in like he was going to do a big reveal - hell, that was too adorable. "I only killed one man in my entire life."

"Oh, I was your one and only. That's cute."

"That's why I will never trust you: you are the only one that has any personal reasons to hate me. I don't know what sort of game you are planning but I won't fall for it."

Gakupo wanted to answer that he had already been caught, that they were literally driving back to his place, but didn't. Instead, he passed a hand in his hair, combing it with his fingers, and said: "I am a little baffled by how wrong you are in your reasoning."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It certainly can be blamed on the fact that you don't know how things work here, but honestly, I was expecting for you to understand your situation a little better than that. Let me spell it out for you: you are not supposed to be here. You have been sentenced to eternal damnation, Kaito, your spot, as a human soul in hell, is down in the pits. You have no more rights than mere cattle. Do you understand?"

"I..." Kaito paused before he managed to regain his composure. "Of course I do. I don't see what that has to do with being your pupil or becoming a demon."

"It has everything to do with it. If you were to go in the streets right now, anyone would have the right to do whatever they please with you, because you are human. This isn't Earth, there are no laws protecting you. However... there are laws set up to protect demons."

Kait didn't answer, but he seemed to understand. Freaking finally, one might add.

"And in order to become a demon," continued the former duke, "you need someone to teach you our ways and oversee the morphing of your soul. You have no other option unless you just happen to be born as one already, which is evidently not your case. Luckily for you, I told you - several times, might I add - that I was willing to play that role for you. Now, let me ask my question again. Are you certain that you can afford to risk your luck with someone else?"

"Well," scoffed the human, "I'm sure there must be someone else in this entire city willing to help me become a demon."

Gakupo burst in laughter. That he would believe such a thing was the most amusing thing that had come out of his prey's mouth. "You really think that a total stranger would want to waste their time educating some rude, entitled man they don't know?"

"Well..." Kaito paused. "Of course it sounds bad when you put it like that."

"All right. Let's admit that such a demon exist, somewhere in this city. How lucky do you need to be for them to be the first person you meet on the streets if, say, you have the brilliant idea of wandering away from my supervision?"

"I wouldn't just wander off without a plan," he scoffed.

"I'm glad to hear that you'll be staying then, Kaito. Actually, I'm very pleased that you are starting to appreciate the value of my company."

"It's not like I have a choice, do I?"

"Technically, you do, but really you don't. Not when all other options are worth than staying with me."

"It's only temporary."

"I like your optimism." Gakupo winked. "It's so important to have dreams, never forget that, my dear."


	4. 8 Eden Street

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: contains a description of physical abuse. For those that this may affect, please proceed with caution.

They both became quiet after that, so they looked outside.

There were getting closer to the center of the town; the houses lined up next to the carriage like dark birds sitting on a wire, their windows glowing eyes in the twilight. Pedestrians walked along, dressed in their evening clothes and talking joyously. It was the hour where those that could afford it went out for dinner and distractions, whatever they may be. The pleasures that Allacard could offer were plentiful for those that had money.

All that they saw were demons. Most seemed to have at either some horns or a tail, and some even had wings, but there were far more monstrous examples to wander the streets. There were some with three, even four eyes, others with tusks or the maws of a dog. Most of them spoke Latin, the common tongue of all demonic citizen, yet a trained ear could spot other languages being used.

"We'll soon be home," said the demon. "You'll see, the place couldn't be more situated. It's really hard to get a house from this street, but luckily I have friends there that harassed the former owner out for me. You should have seen her, she ran out the door crying!"

"What?" said Kaito, dumbfound.

"Oh, she's fine now, in case you are wondering. She's just living somewhere else, I think. Nobody really cares."

"You can't harass someone out of their homes! That's now how things work!"

"Why not? Ferrets were invented to chase rabbits out of their burrows, and so were beagles, and people love them! I certainly love my friends for what they did for me."

"People are not rabbits! How would you feel if someone tried to bully you into giving you what they want?"

"Oh, that's easy. I'd be furious, but if it's a demon that's more powerful than me, I would give it up. If not... well, I'll go beat them up for their effort, and then I would take their liver for my dinner. I love raw liver."

Kaito gagged. What a delicate little thing, really. Gakupo had work to do if he wanted to toughen up that sensitive little snowflake, he was too concerned about other people for his own good.

"Ah," said the demon as he looked outside again. "We are there. My dear, say hello to your new home!"

The moment the carriage came to a full stop, Gakupo threw his coat over his shoulders and exited the vehicle, stopping on the pavement to look back at Kaito. The latter seemed reluctant to come out but did it anyway, looking up at the house with narrowed eyes.

It was dark red and vast, the small garden filled with black roses on either side of the door like clawed paws stretching out to greet visitors. There were sculpted murals on either side of the entrance that represented what seemed to be an orgy of beasts and demons, a sight that made the human look away, and bars at every window all the way to the last floor.

"You are quite lucky to have arrived at a moment in my life where you gets such a luxurious home," said Gakupo. He pointed at the eight over the door. "Eight Eden Street! That's the place to remember if you ever get lost."

"... Eden street?" repeated Kaito, his brows shooting up. "Isn't Eden synonym of paradise?"

"The lost, original paradise, actually," replied Venomania. "I'll let you know that we demons love irony, even if, in this case, you are more likely to find your personal paradise on this street, more than anywhere else."

The human frowned, trying to understand what he meant.

"Oh, you'll get why I say that soon enough," continued the demon. He knocked at the door. "Anya, open up, sugar flower!"

There was a distant giggle, and then a servant opened the door. She wore a maid's outfit with a skirt so short and tight it barely deserved to be named a skirt, and her dark green hair was tied back to reveal cute little horns like round bumps on the top of her head. She had a tail, long and agile, and last but not least, her ample blossom seemed about to make the top of her uniform crack. She threw herself in Gakupo's arms.

"Master Venomania!" she cried, holding him tight. Her soft chest pressed against him, immediately brightening his mood. Hell, did he love his little minx of a maid.

"I missed you too, Anya." He said, stroking her cheek. "What a welcome! Is that for our guest?"

She glanced over at Kaito, that was still standing near the carriage, her big brown eyes surveying him from head to toe.

"Well," she purred, her tail swinging in excitement, "can't it be for both of you?"

Kaito blushed furiously and looked away from her. Both demons laughed.

"He's shy?" said the maid.

"I think so. Why don't you go wait for us inside, my sweetie, while I coax him in? I can't wait to try what you prepared, I am starving."

She giggled and gave him bedroom eyes, perfectly understanding the double sense behind his words, before darting back in. Kaito didn't wait a moment once she vanished to speak up:

"Is she a whore, to dress like that?"

Gakupo paused, his fists tightening. Should Kaito have been a demon, it would have been fine. But the former duke knew this word, for a human, was not the least kind. And he knew that Anya had heard it too when the sound of her feet stopped. Yet he managed to keep his smile, his mask of happiness on, that his prey might not guess that he was mad.

"She won't bite. Why don't you come in, that I show you to your room?" He mustered in a sweet voice.

Kaito hesitated a while longer, before obeying. Gakupo let him pass, but before he closed the door, he sent a look to Arin, still seated on the driver's seat of the carriage. The butler rolled his eyes as if to say 'all humans are idiots anyway.'

Gakupo followed Kaito into the house but was quick to take the lead once he had gotten rid of his coat.

"This way," he said to the human. "You'll be sleeping upstairs."

They made their way through Gakupo's home. It was indeed, as he had announced, luxurious, decorated with rich purple carpets and curtains, lit by luminous crystals that hung from the ceiling everywhere. The place gave up a cozy vibe, with couches and seats a little bit everywhere - and they all looked comfortable enough for a quick nap.

They didn't go through any major room save from the central stairs, the ones that went all the way to the last floor, but Kaito did get to glance to some of the paintings in passing. Many of them were just as lewd as the murals from the front door, and the demon could see from the corner of his eye that his prey was avoiding looking at them as he passed them. This made him smirk.

Eventually, they arrived at the very last floor, the attic. There was a single door right at the end of the stairs, a door that stood alone in the dark like a bad omen. Gakupo took the key, that was on a hook on the wall, and unlocked it, showing what was inside.

It was a bare, dusty room, only lit by a small round window with bars in front of it. In one corner there was a chest designed to for storage, while in another was a heap of old blankets. The wind slipped through the cracks of the roof.

"I am not sleeping in there," said Kaito, that had approached the doorway and looked inside.

Gakupo chuckled, grabbed him by the collar of his white robe, lifted him and threw him into the room. The human landed with a heavy thud and a pained grunt, making his demon master laugh as he stepped in and closed the door.

"Finally, we get a little time alone, my dear, dear murderer," purred the demon.

Horror swept across Shion's face, that tired to scramble away. Gakupo was on him before he could, turning one of his feet into the falcon-like talons of his true demonic form to grab his neck and slam him back down on the old wooden flooring. Tightening his hold until Kaito started to wheeze and pull struggle desperately gave him great satisfaction.

"You have no idea how mad you made me, Kaito," he whispered. "You can hate me, you can insult me all you want, I don't care, but say one more word against my servants and this will seem like _nothing_." He pulled him up and slammed him back down, hard. Kaito creased to resist him, growing paralyzed with fear. "If it pleases them, they have the right to rip your head off and I will not move a finger to protect you. They are my subordinates, but they are both demons. Above you in every regard. Have I made myself clear?"

The human nodded vigorously. He was starting to turn blue, so Gakupo let go some of the pressure on his throat.

"First lesson," continued the demon. "In hell, you are nothing but dirt. Repeat after me."

"In hell, I am nothing... but dirt," managed to whimper his prey.

"You won't call Anya a whore, or look down on Arin again."

"I won't call Anya a whore, or look down on Arin again."

"Good, you are doing so good," cooed Gakupo, stroking his cheek with one of his viciously sharp talons. "I want you to think this over very carefully tonight. Do you think that you can do that for me?"

Kaito nodded.

"You see that you can be agreeable when you want to," said Gakupo, clasping his hands. "Now, I got other things to do than babysit you, so if you will excuse me..."

The demon let Kaito go and turned his foot back into a shoe, before heading to the door. He took a short moment to readjust his hair, combing it with his hands, before he caught a hoarse muttering from the human.

"Excuse me, I didn't quite get that," said Gakupo, turning to his prey. He had left red angry marks on his throat. With the way Shion was spread out on the ground in nothing but a light gown, it was a quite enticing sight.

"How about dinner?"

"Dinner?" Repeated the demon with a smirk. "Dinner is only for those that deserve it."

And left, locking the door behind him.

Gakupo didn't bother lingering. He was aroused, his senses having been exalted by the exercise, and had only one thing on his mind after having seen Anya dressing up for his return. He quickly descended the stairs, his impatience getting the better of him, and burst into the dining room, startling his sweet little Anya. She looked at him, then at the doorway behind him, slightly confused. She still wore the same outfit from before, and she looked positively delicious.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"We had a heart to heart, and he decided to go straight to bed afterward," replied her master.

She pulled the seat at the end of the table for him to sit down, before setting down a knife she had been carrying. "That's too bad. I was looking forward to getting to know him."

"Ease your mind. You'll have him all to yourself soon enough, my sweetheart." Gakupo pulled her close by the hip. She giggled. "I see that you have prepared my favorite dish."

"Liver," she replied sheepishly, point to it on the table. "Although I made some for two..."

"Don't worry," replied her master as he fiddled with the buttons on the back of her clothes. "I'll make sure to lick it all up."

She giggled, then moaned, then screamed his name as he took her right on the table.

***

The wind was howling through the cracks in the roof, and it only got worth as the night ticked away. He bundled up in the blankets to the best of his abilities, even if they were coarse and hard from age. He hoped that there was no vermin in them.

He felt lonely and miserable. His throat hurt.

For a second, he had thought that the demon was going to tear him to shreds. When he had been held down against his will, too weak to fight against the monster that was his captor, there had been that crazy look in Gakupo's eye. He had wondered if there was an afterlife after the afterlife, or if he would feel it all as he was ripped apart, left there to suffer for all of eternity. He had never thought of anything more terrifying.

He needed to sleep, but he was scared to see the scene again in his dreams. Hunger didn't help his case as it probed, then clawed against his ribs like a monster inside him.

He had heard of misery, he had even read about it when he was alive and safe, comfortably seated in his favorite chair near the fire. He wished all this was just a book now, a book or a nightmare he could escape from. If he had but one wish...

"Really. How did he even become a demon?" he muttered to himself, looking at the ceiling. A spider was sowing her web at the window, her black, grotesque body clean-cut against the moon. He addressed her. "He's even got a house, and everything he wants."

Everything he wanted... Kaito felt his cheeks heat up when he recalled the screams of pleasure that had reached all the way to his prison-room, earlier. They had lasted for a while too. Had demons no shame at all?

It was so unfair. Gakupo had taken all those women and had brainwashed them, using them for his pleasure, but when he died and went to hell he got to do that all over again. And Kaito, that had only tried to do the right thing, that had only wanted to save them, was being placed in this criminal's hands, for him to strangle him if he wanted! Was that the divine justice of this world? Was this the doing of God?

If that was so, the universe was rotten to the core.

"What is going to happen to me? I can't escape this," he told the spider. "I can go to the pits, but heavens know what's down there. Can he even make me suffer more than the pits?"

She shrugged. "How would I know?" she replied. "I'm just an itty bitty spider. By next winter, I will be dead, and the only thing I will know will be this window."

Kaito looked at her in stunned silence.

"By the way," she said, waving a leg at him, "you're dreaming. That's why I am talking at all."

"Huh," said the human. "I haven't noticed. I'm glad that I am getting some rest."

"Good for you, bro. You certainly need it after what happened to you."

"Yeah..." Kaito stroked his throat pensively, tracing the red marks Gakupo had gifted him. "What's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know." She moved over her web. She was almost finished. "But hey, it's not all bad."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, for one, you could have gotten an uglier captor."

"What do--" Kaito paled when he realized what she was talking about, then turned red with anger. "Shut up."

"What are you scared of now? You're already damned for all of eternity. If anything, you are entitled to let those desires speak a little more - let me breathe a bit."

"I said shut up!"

"When he held you down, it excited you, didn't it? He looked down on you and sneered. Oh damn, that was the best, wasn't it?" Hanging from a string, she slowly descended from her perch, towards him. "And that part in the carriage where he took out his coat? You felt me crawling under your skin."

"Go away! Leave me alone!" Kaito buried his head under the blanket. "I'm not a woman, I don't like men..."

"Oh, my dear," she said, her voice becoming lower and lower with each word. "My love. You can run from me all you want... but you know that I am part of you. You can run, but you can't hide."

The spider laughed, and his laugh was deep and male. When Kaito woke up with a start, alone in his cold, dark prison-room, he could have sworn that he was still hearing it ring in his ears.


	5. The Contract and the Coat Incident

There was a deep chuckle, then someone stoked his cheek.

"Waky shaky, sleepyhead," purred a deep, dark voice. "The sun rose ages ago and your breakfast is getting cold."

Kaito shifted, struggling to free himself from the grip of a long awaited sleep. After his dream with the spider, he had twisted and turned around in his uncomfortable nest almost the entire night, listening to the wind outside, only to fall asleep from exhaustion as the red light of the day started to come through the single window of his room.

"Aw, you didn't get to sleep much last night, didn't you?" whispered the voice. The hand that had touched his face was now trailing over the covers, gently prying them off his body. "I understand. It must be scary, being trapped in this strange place, at the mercy of a man that wants to see you suffer. But we got a busy day today, my dear. There are so many things to do and see."

Kaito eventually managed to pry open his eyes. He blinked as he registered what he was looking at. The thing that was on all fours over him smiled, revealing a pair of fangs.

The human scrambled away, only to hit his head against the corner of the room behind him. He screamed in anguish, frantically looking for an issue until Gakupo pinned him down with a hand over his mouth to hush him.

"I hate screaming," said the demon. "Be quiet or I will gag you."

Kaito looked once more at the monstrous thing looming over him. His captor's face was entirely unchanged, as beautiful as ever, save for the three black dots in the middle of his forehead, that looked like the triangular eyes of a spider. In the place where the human had seen horns on other demons, there were long, curved antennas. From the neck down, the creature's skin became reflective, with jagged strips of dark purple that disappeared into the collar of his shirt. He had four arms, two on each side of his chest, and the lower pair was smaller and curled against his chest. His waist, accentuated by a tight belt, was incredibly thin, and he had a tail, although it looked like the abdomen of a wasp.

A wasp with shoulders that were twice as large as Kaito's. He definitely reached three meters in height or, in other words, ten feet. The human's heart was beating a thousand miles per hour.

"Hush, hush, you haven't done anything yet that's worthy of punishment," whispered the creature. His antennas gently tapped Kaito's brow, as if reassuring him. "In fact, you are getting new things today. New clothes." Gakupo leaned in closer. His smile almost looked gentle. "Which means you won't be needing those old rags anymore, hmm?"

Before the human could understand what he meant, the two lower hands of the demon were at his collar, and there was the sound of a great rip as they tore through Kaito's only change of clothes. He struggled in protest against his captor, trying to remove the other's arms from him, but that only made Gakupo laughed as he swatted him away. He was strong enough that his prey had the impression that he was struggling against iron given life.

Gakupo had torn his way down the gown, much to Kaito's horror. He tried to cover his crotch with his hands but the former Duke held them up as he passed his arms through the sleeves and pulled the torn clothes from under him. The demon then balled the white clothe and tossed it over his shoulder, before sitting back upon his heels with a satisfied grin on his face.

"There..." he muttered. "Much better."

Kaito covered his nudity while simultaneously trying to find refuge under the covers. He was panting hard from the struggle, his face flushed red with the humiliation of finding himself entirely bare in front of his nemesis.

"You... what was that for?" he cried.

Gakupo rose a brow, visibly amused. "Don't whine like that, you'll get new ones soon. Besides, you are much less likely to run away when you are naked."

"I wasn't going to run away!" protested the human.

"Weren't you? That's peculiar, I could have sworn that you were talking about that yesterday in the carriage. Something about not trusting the one and only man you killed?"

"And then I said that I wouldn't run away!"

"Ah... oh, yes!" Gakupo was a poor actor, or maybe he didn't even try to appear sincere as he mimed surprise. "How strange, I remember that only now! Oh well, it's too bad, your only piece of clothing is torn beyond repair." He glanced over his shoulder to where the garment now laid in a heap. "Well on the bright side, it wasn't the most flattering of outfits. Anything else would make a better job at flattering your..." he looked at the naked human below him, licking his lips. "Your figure."

"What in the world--" started to say Kaito.

Gakupo didn't let him finish his sentence. Getting up, he dragged him roughly by one shoulder, with enough strength that the human grunted in pain as he was pulled along behind. He tried to grab a blanket to use as a covering but was yanked away before he could, leaving him entirely bare as he passed the door.

"Wait, I need to take a blanket--" he started to say.

Gakupo whipped around. The sclera of his eyes was dark, making his purple iris stand out. "Excuse me, do you need anything?" he asked in a voice that made it clear that he had heard what had been said - and that he didn't like it.

Kaito pipped up and shook his head. "Nothing."

A slow smile spread on the demon's lips as his gaze went back to normal. "Good. The marks on your neck are almost healed, it's so nice to see that you are doing everything you can to keep it that way."

The human nodded. Somewhere deep down he hated himself for being nothing but a submissive little sheep at the first sign of danger, but after last night there was no questioning which one of them would come on top in a confrontation. If the big scary demon wanted him to walk around naked, he would.

He would get back to him later for that, thought Kaito as they went down the stairs.

By the time the demon was down the stairs, he had turned back to his more human form, bones snapping into place and clothes morphing along so that they wouldn't be too big for him. His grip, however, didn't waver, and he was still pulling him behind him when they entered the dining room.

Despite himself, Kaito's stomach growled when he caught sight of the food laid out for him on the dining room's table. Better yet, a fire roared in the chimney, a sight he was secretly grateful for after having spent the night under covers that kept leaking cold air currents at the slightest of moves.

"Sit, you must be starving," said Gakupo as he pulled a chair for him in front of the fire. "Especially after having skipped dinner."

Kaito glared at the reason he had not eaten the moment le latter had his back turned, but he flopped in the seat anyway and pulled himself closer to his plate. His captor seated himself opposite from him and watched him, and that was enough to freeze the human in place.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked, visibly amused. "Don't wait on me, I already ate."

Kaito looked down at the food. He was familiar with most of the things presented to him and was even surprised by the amount of meat that was on the table. Maybe it was cheaper in hell? He went for what vaguely looked like bacon on bread, adding a little bit of everything on his plate. After his night spent in the attic, it felt odd to be treated so well that he was even allowed to eat. Even if that had to be in his birthday suit...

He heard a woman's delighted giggle and turned to see Anya, now dressed in a normal maid's uniform, standing in the doorway to the kitchen with a pot of smoking tea in her hands. She gave him a once over and certainly didn't hide that she liked what she saw, licking her lips gleefully.

Kaito looked down his plate, beat red. It had been twenty years since the last time a woman had looked at him like she wanted to lick every inch of him - and it wasn't some tavern servant trying to make some quick buck off the dick of some aging nobleman passing by. Even those looks had stopped after a while.

She came over with the pot of tea and poured him a cup, her ample blossom pressing against his shoulder. He slowly leaned away, trying very hard to think about anything but the fact that she was close enough for him to hear her breathe.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she said. "How did you sleep?"

"Anya," Called Gakupo sternly, before Kaito could even answer.

She jerked back, looking at her master. He smiled at her and beckoned her with a finger. She giggled and obeyed, walking around the table.

"He doesn't deserve you yet," said the male demon, casually resting a hand on her rear.

She laughed and swatted his hand away. "If you are going to be this jealous over me, you don't deserve me either," she replied.

"You would deny me?"

"Watch me," she said as she walked back to the kitchen, waving her hips as she went.

He laughed and shook his head, before returning his attention to Kaito. His smile lost its genuine happiness. It was an interesting phenomenon, and Kaito was shocked to see it happen so clearly; it was all in the eyes.

"There is something we need to discuss, my dear," he said. "I am afraid that I have not had the time to cover all you had to know yesterday. Don't worry, though, those are just details."

Kaito tensed ever so slightly. What did the demon have in store for him now?

"You remember when I told you about how human souls cannot become demons unless they have a master to guide them?" he continued. "Us subjects to the seven Lords can even sense when that transformation has or is occurring in a human - that's part of the many, many perks to being a demon. Of course, as one should expect, those sort of radical changes don't happen because you want it... my dear, if you are not going to eat, I'll call back Anya and I will tell her to get rid of the leftovers."

Kaito, suddenly scared that he would do that - he seemed entirely capable of it, to be honest - started shoving the food into his mouth. He slowed down when it registered that it was absolutely delicious, and not because he had been starving up to this point. Had it been Anya cooking?

"See, you were hungry. Oh, I hope I weren't making you too nervous to eat, my dear," said Gakupo. "So, as I was saying, becoming a demon isn't a spontaneous process, otherwise demons would just pop up right and left in the pits - and we can't have that happen, now, can't we?"

He paused.

"Right, Kaito?" he asked, his tone menacing.

The human nodded vigorously in approval.

"Good." The demon relaxed. His prey thought about how he hated the way the other kept him on his toes with random mood swings like that. "Privilege should only be granted to a selected few, otherwise chaos runs amock. That's how they do it in the human world, we were both well placed to know that. But I am rambling. The process that allows humans to become demons is through a contract. A soul contract, to be precise."

A piece of paper suddenly appeared in the master's hands, startling the human. The latter watched as it floated in his direction, along with an elegant white quill pen. All of it settled on the table next to his plate.

"Signing it will start the process, as well as cement our obligations regarding each other."

Kaito tried to read it, but it appeared that it was written entirely in Latin. He could understand certain words, but not all.

"Obligations?" he asked. "What sort of obligations?"

"On my part," said Gakupo, "that I must protect you from other demons and see that you are provided for with all the necessities - food, lodging, et caetera. Your part is easier: all that is required from you is absolute obedience."

"So, this is a soul contract..." The human picked the parchment from the table. "Does that mean that I have to sign this willingly?"

"Absolutely, you got the point. Demons also use those type of contracts when making pacts with demons, as it has the advantage of preventing all attempts at finding loopholes."

Kaito, looking straight into Gakupo's eyes, tore it in half and dropped it on the ground.

A muscle twitched under the demon's eye, but his smile didn't waver. "I feel like I have to congratulate you for seeing through this one."

"You can't force me to sign it," said Kaito. He couldn't believe that his intuition had been right on the nose. "Threatening me or beating me would make the signature caduc."

"Now, no need to act smug about your one flash of clairvoyance." Gakupo snapped his fingers and the contract appeared, intact and neatly rolled up, in his hand. "I may not be a patient man, but I have all the time in the world. Soon, you'll run out of illusions to chase."

Kaito didn't even bother answering. He returned to eating his breakfast, and each bite has the taste of victory. Gakupo might be stronger and scarier than him, he could be defeated. The human would have to keep that in mind.

Arin appeared at the door shortly after.

"Master Venomania, the carriage is ready," he said with a small bow.

"Ah, excellent. My dear future pupil, we are leaving."

The human froze, glanced down at his lack of clothing, and then at the two demons standing on the other side of the room. Arin was trying hard not to smile, while the master didn't even bother hiding his grin.

"But..." said Kaito. "I'm, well... entirely nude."

"Exactly," replied his captor.

Kaito paled as he finally understood that this had been the plan all along. It wasn't for the satisfaction of ripping to shreds the entirety of all his possessions or parading him in front of Anya for the sake of punishing him for having called her a whore. Gakupo fully intended for him to walk out the door naked and in the middle of the day.

Sweet victory had been short-lived for the poor human.

"Get up now, we are going to be late," said Gakupo in a sing-song voice. "If you are still hungry later I'll ask Anya to make extra for lunch, but we got to go or we'll be late."

Kaito didn't move.

"Kaito." Venomania's voice had lost all friendliness. "We need to go. Now."

The blue-haired man stood up reluctantly and made his way to the entrance. Arin passed him and went outside, leaving the door open for the others to follow him. The red light of the hellish day filled the entrance as the chatter of passers-by reached Kaito.

He couldn't do it. He froze in his tracks, then backed up, hiding behind a piece of furniture. If he walked out now, the whole street would see him.

"What's the matter, my dear?" Asked Gakupo as he threw his fur coat over his shoulders. "You seem terrified. It's just the street. Look, the carriage is right there. It's just a few meters."

Kaito gulped and looked at Gakupo. This was too much. He hated himself for not being able to put up a stronger front, to crumble for so little, but he was already tired and scared. He couldn't take more. He shook his head.

"Now, my dear," said the demon as he stepped closer. "Hurry up. We are going to be late."

"Please," begged the human. "I can't."

Gakupo smiled but didn't laugh. "It's just a few meters."

Kaito looked at the door, then back at his captor. He shook his head. "Please. I got it, you're the boss here, but I can't. I really can't. It's just my first day here, I don't want to go naked in the street."

Gakupo remained quiet for the longest time, his face frozen with that fake smile of his, and Kaito knew that he had fucked up. He closed his eyes, hating that he was this weak that he would beg, hating him too for forcing him to do that, hating his life, hating the fact that he had made such a mistake as to kill him all those years ago. He tensed, preparing to get hit or dragged out by force.

Something heavy, yet soft, landed over his shoulders. Shocked, he opened his eyes only to see Gakupo closing the buttons of his own coat over the human's chest. It was long enough that Kaito was entirely dressed.

"Make no mistake, I'm just doing this because we are really going to be late if we spend any more time waiting for your delicate ass to walk outside," muttered the demon. "Let's move."

He turned around and headed out the door, turning around when he arrived near the carriage.

"Are you coming?" he asked.

Kaito touched the coat. It was entirely doubled with one of the softest fur he had been given to touch. It felt expensive. Why would the demon even lend something like that to him? This didn't make any sense.

"Kaito Shion," called Gakupo, "I am going to count to three, and if don't move you are going to be really sorry. Understood?"

Jolting to life, the human rushed outside, closing the door behind him. Demons were already gathering to watch the scene and he felt himself blush when he met their gaze, but he was dressed. He made it to the carriage and rushed in the dark cabin, to safety.


	6. Karl and Elind

Kaito kept glancing at Gakupo, that was looking out the window. He almost had the impression that the demon was ignoring him now, although he had no idea what he had done to earn himself such a treatment.

The human wanted to ask him why he had lent his coat, yet he didn't: he had the feeling that the other would expertly dodge his question if he did, or would tell him that if he hadn't they would have been late. Gakupo had made it very clear, again and again, that he had strength enough to drag Kaito, yet he didn't.

The blue-haired man was distracted from his questioning by a smell. It reminded him of cinnamon and freshly chopped tobacco, with a touch of some other spice he couldn't define - maybe something from hell that he didn't know of? He looked outside and around the carriage, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He suddenly had an idea, and, without thinking, buried his nose in the soft fur collar of the coat.

The smell was Gakupo's and it clung to his clothes.

He looked up and met the gaze of the demon, that seemed extremely amused by the fact that he had just caught his prey taking a sniff of his coat. Kaito felt his face turn red and looked away, trying to pretend as if he had been doing nothing out of the ordinary. Gakupo chuckled maliciously, and the sound awakened a queer, fluttering feeling in Kaito's stomach.

Suddenly the demon snapped his fingers, and curtains were drawn over all the windows.

"Stay hidden now," suddenly said Gakupo. "I saw some friends outside, but I don't want them to know about you."

Kaito blinked, his curiosity picked, but didn't dare say anything as the carriage slowed and the demon opened the only window with no curtains to put his head outside.

"If this isn't the Kagamine, what a surprise!" He cried in the direction of someone that Kaito couldn't see.

"A, Gakupo!" replied a high-pitched female voice. "Isn't it a coincidence, I was just talking about you to Len. We must invite each other sometimes, you have promised him a lesson in confidence last year and you still haven't made any time for him."

"Oh, have I?" the demon laughed, combing through his hair with his hands. "I must have forgotten. Talking about the invitation, don't tell the others yet, because it's not quite sure, but I am thinking of inviting you all to my house in the next week or so."

"Oh, my Satan," she squealed. "What's the occasion?"

As the conversation went on, Kaito looked outside and saw that there was a break in the rows of houses, in which lay a park. It looked lovely, bushy and shady, and he made a good note of it. He loved walks, and he could only hope that his captor would allow him to visit it at some point. It didn't feel like it was too far from the house.

"It's all a surprise. As I said, nothing is quite sure yet," said Gakupo. "Of course, you would both be invited. And maybe Len can get his... private lesson then?" The demon winked.

"No one said anything about it being private!" Protested a male voice.

"Oh Len, you will succumb to my charms eventually, just like everyone else. Now, I believe that it's against driving etiquette to be holding the street, so I will be on my way, but I promise that we shall see each other again soon."

"Goodbye Gakupo! I'll find what you are hiding from me, don't you worry!" cried the female voice.

This made the demon laugh as he closed the window of the carriage and returned his attention to Kaito. "What cuties. Sometimes I forget that they are older than me."

"Who was that?" politely inquired the human.

"A work colleague and a friend. You'll meet them soon enough - granted that you don't decide to do something stupid in the meantime. Promise me you won't? It would be too bad to miss their visit because you are grounded - or worth."

Kaito gulped, tensing as the ominous threat registered. "I... I promise."

"Oh, that's lovely. I am finally starting to think that there is some hope for you. For now, though, you will be meeting another of my friends - you'll see, Elind is very talented."

 

***

 

The carriage ventured away from the high-class residential area Gakupo lived in, and into the more commercial parts. Demons flocked to those streets in greater numbers, but their attires tended to be poorer, and a two horse carriage certainly wasn't a common sight - nor something they were prepared for. Arin had to stop and negotiate his passage with a shop keeper that had thought it a good idea to spread their wares well into the street. Each delay annoyed Gakupo a little more, and when he was annoyed his mood visibly darkened until he was brooding. Kaito prudently backed up into the furthest corner of the cabine.

They eventually made it out of the poorer areas and down the Street of the Moon. It was famous for its businesses catering to a richer clientele - in other words, people like Gakupo.

"I never could bear plebians," said the demon as he stepped out of the carriage. "I know that people like me need them, but honestly, I would rather not interact with them. They are so... Ill-mannered."

"They couldn't know that it was you, master Venomania," said Arin from his perch. "I wasn't sure if I should announce your name..."

"You needn't bother, I am sure that those uncultured swine wouldn't have recognized it anyway." Gakupo materialized a pocket watch in his hand to take a look at the time. "Elind was expecting us at least ten minutes ago."

He turned around and caught his prey rolling his eyes as he followed him, but stopping when he realized that he had been caught. Venomania rose a brow, unamused, but didn't comment. He would punish him later if he kept up with that attitude.

He pushed the door of a small, yet beautifully decorated shop, with flashy outfits on display in the window. The place revealed itself to well-lit yet cozy, with mannequins clad in unique creations and accessories presented neatly on shelves. As always, the place had a relaxing influence on the demon.

"Master Venomania, welcome!" said Elind as he appeared in the doorway leading to the back of the shop. "We had been expecting you."

Gakupo smiled. Elind was quite cute, with his bright red hair and freckled face. He was bone and tall, with soft antennas and velvety moth wings that trailed behind him like an elegant cape, but his most remarkable features were his four arms, a massive advantage when one worked as a renowned tailor.

"Sorry we are late," said the purple-haired demon. "We had trouble on the way coming."

"Oh, please don't excuse yourself, you are in fact just in time," said the shop owner. "I barely finished preparing for your arrival. Please, come this way. Is this the gentleman I will be servicing today?" He eyed Kaito, that didn't seem to keen about suddenly being the center of attention.

"Yes, it is him. Is Karl around?"

"I'll call him shortly, I believe he went upstairs to prepare some refreshments."

That certainly put Gakupo in a better mood as he followed the others into the back room, taking place on the couch. It had mirrors and a vast selection of different types of cloth so that people could describe what they wanted when they had clothes tailored for themselves.

"All right, what is your name?" asked Elind with a kind smile.

"Kaito Shion," said the human, a little nervous.

"All right Kaito, what are you looking for in terms of clothes?"

The blue-haired man glanced at Gakupo, obviously at lost about what he was supposed to say. The demon shrugged, before saying:

"We're looking at a full wardrobe - nothing too extravagant, but it needs to be done quickly - and we'll also be leaving with a premade casual outfit if you have any of those available. Oh, and we'll also need a fancier change of clothes for parties and going out, but that can wait for a little."

"Oh, will that be all? I have a few orders at the moment, but I can surely make some time for one of our favorite customers," said the tailor with a charming smile. "Now, Kaito, I am going to have to take your measures, but this coat is too wide. I am going to have to ask you to remove it..."

Kaito glanced Gakupo's way again but must have seen on his face that he wouldn't be getting a free pass this time and reluctantly complied, looking down at the ground. The purple-haired demon licked his lips unconsciously. He had certainly noticed that Kaito without clothes looked tasty enough to eat, and devoured the naked planes of his body with his eyes as they were revealed.

"Oh, you have-- I see," said Elind, looking slightly embarrassed - but quickly gathered his bearings, professional as he was. "What happened, if I may ask?"

"I disliked the clothes he had before," simply answered Gakupo.

"Ah, I see." The moth demon nodded his head. "As always, you know what you want, master Venomania, and will settle for nothing less. Very well then, shall we get started?"

Kaito nodded, watching as the tailor pulled out a meter to get his measures.

Right around that time, however, something, even more, interesting caught Gakupo's attention: Karl, Elind's brother, was coming down the stairs, carrying a tray of hot tea and some cups.

He also presented red hair, although of a duller shade than his brother, but his eyes were wider and blue. He did not choose to get four arms, but he also had wings, bright and colorful daytime butterfly wings that perked up when his gaze met Venomania's. His lips twisted into a smile and he passed his working brother, making a beeline for the couch.

"Well, master Venomania," he purred, setting the tray on a low table. "It's always a pleasure to see you."

Something in the butterfly's teasing voice rose the ever-hungry beast that slept deep within the purple-haired demon. He smiled as the tailor's brother got straight to business, sitting on his lap to stroke his chest through his clothes. Gakupo leaned back against the couch and enjoyed the attention; this was the sort of service that was expected from a high-class boutique in hell, and he didn't care that the other was male.

Gakupo had always been aware of his liking for both women and men, even if he had only explored the latter after his death due to the taboo of same-sex relationships that was imposed on humans. It was ridiculous, considering that he had broken many other rules, and he had regretted not doing it earlier once he had a taste. He simply loved physical contact regardless of the gender or, in other, cruder words, he was happy as long as his dick was touched and aroused by the sight of any bare skin.

Karl chuckled and leaned in, kissing the side of his jaw. "Look at you light up," he whispered. "You always look so neglected when you drop by. One would almost believe that you live in some hole in the deep countryside with no one to sate your needs."

"I do, actually," said Gakupo in a falsely sad voice.

"No you don't," replied the butterfly with a laugh. He had cute dimples when he smiled. "Don't think that I don't know your reputation, you sly beast."

"Rats, I was caught."

"It seemed that you were." Karl fluttered his lashes before resuming his attention.

"Hm... that's why your shop is my favorite place to get clothes," said Gakupo as the other kissed a trail down his throat.

"We pride ourselves on customer service," muttered Karl against his collar bone. He fiddled with the button of the purple-haired demon. "One makes the clothes and the other takes them off. Although you are certainly one of my favorite customers, if not my personal favorite."

"You say that to every second client."

"Do I now?"

Karl rocked his hips against Gakupo's crotch, eliciting a low, needy moan from the other. Venomania stoked the other's back in encouragement, and was rewarded with more friction; he felt himself grow erect.

"It's always ego-stoking to see a demon like you melt under my advances," said the butterfly before looking down. "Or, in your case, harden under my advances."

"Kaito, I need you to stand still now, please stop fretting," complained Elind.

The remark drew Gakupo's attention back to his prey. The blue-haired man was blushing bright red as he still stood there with nothing to cover him - and with Elind holding his arms up so that he could measure the length of his arm, nothing to hide his half-mast.

Oh, well, if that wasn't interesting. Kaito was aroused by the sight of two men together? Since when? Gakupo had been entirely unaware that his prey swung both ways but, if that was true, it was the best news of the week. He licked his lips gleefully as he imagined an array of new possibilities.

Their eyes met. Kaito looked down, deeply humiliated that Gakupo had noticed his affliction, but his erection didn't waver one bit. In fact, it only grew, as if encouraged by the attention given to it to stand proudly.

Karl turned around to see what had caught Gakupo's attention and frowned when he saw that it was all dedicated to the human. He huffed and reached between them to slip a hand in the other's pants, stroking his hardening member. Gakupo could have started to purr at the attention. Waves of pleasure passed through his body, one with each touch, making him crumble, yet all he could think of was how much he wanted to try Kaito instead.

"Karl," called Elind, visibly distressed. "Can you please take master Venomania upstairs? This human just won't sit still."

The butterfly seemed relieved by the request. He got up in an instant, pulling Gakupo to his feet after him and tried to lure him to the other room.

"This way, sir," said the redhead. "My brother needs to work in peace, you are too distracting."

"But I like me being distracting," replied Gakupo, his eyes never leaving the naked man in the room.

Kaito tried to turn away from him, desperately trying to hide his arousal, red like a tomato down to his shoulders - much to Elind's dismay, that was trying his best to stop him from constantly moving. Gakupo was tempted to simply grab him and drag him away instead of Karl. To know that his murderer was attracted to him made him almost drunk with power. He couldn't help but imagine all the ways he could humiliate the human - telling him about how he was nothing but a whore as he pounded deep inside of him seemed like a great start, and there was so much more he could do that he was dizzy with the possibilities.

Alas, Karl was already there, pulling on his arm, trying to take him away from the vulnerable little human that was the only thing on his mind, and ignoring the butterfly would be one of the rudest things to do. Besides, it would be worth it to take his time with Kaito in a more intimate setting, later, when they will be back home. He would tell Arin to let no one disturb them, and then he would tease him until he cried out in pleasure and begged for release. How sweet it would be, to have his murderer beg too be fucked raw? It was too good to be true.

It was with great reluctance that Gakupo turned away from his prey and followed Karl upstairs. The butterfly knew that he had been bested, that there was someone that interested the purple-haired demon more than him. He put on a show to get Kaito out of his mind, saying yet to the most depraved of practices just to erase the sight of the other from the back of Gakupo's head. He eventually succeeded.

But it came with a price. Only the former duke rose from the covers in the end, Karl too sore and used for him to move a single muscle. Not that it mattered when his favorite client was entirely sated.

Gakupo made sure to leave his most generous tip yet when came the time to pay. He inquired if Kaito had behaved and was told that there had been no further problems once he had left.

"Oh, that's good," replied Gakupo, resting his hand on the human's shoulder. "It would hate to have to discipline him when he comes home."

The later had been dressed in a simple yet flattering outfit, some pants, and a white shirt, but was unable to meet the demon's eye after what had gone down. He also had not said a word. He was like a trapped animal waiting for the hunter to come and collect him.

"We chose this outfit himself from what I already had made," said Elind, gesturing to the human's new clothes, "but I'll have the rest delivered to your place later this week as they are being made. Thank you very much for your patronage!"

"It's always a pleasure to come here," replied Gakupo. "But now we must be going home. We have important business to attend to. Right, my dear?"

Every muscle in Kaito's body tensed, but he didn't reply. His captor chuckled darkly.

 


	7. Catch and Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: This chapter contains a tentative of rape and descriptions of graphic violence. For those that wish to skip it, I have left a brief summary in the endnotes with all you need to know.

Gakupo couldn't be home fast enough. This time, Arin made sure to make a detour around the poorer areas, and they were actually quicker by taking the long way than when they had been when they had come, which gave the master great satisfaction.

He couldn't help but send some gleeful glances Kaito's way. The latter was sitting opposite from him, in the furthest corner, pretending as if he was alone - but they both knew that he wasn't, and they were both aware that there was only one possible outcome to this situation. The sexual tension was thick and sweet between them, like honey trailing on the very air. Gakupo could almost taste it, could almost hear the other screaming his name as he came, the heavy panting, the sweet release. Bedding his mortal enemy just felt right because he didn't plan to just bed him - he planned on dominating him, he planned on showing him what love between men could be like, and then shame him for wanting it. He wanted the other to submit to him, to love it and to hate himself for loving it, to be the only thing on the human's mind day in and day out. This would be his revenge for the blow he had suffered.

By the time the carriage stopped in front of the home, he was hard. His member tented his pants despite the fact that he had found release less than half an hour ago. He made no effort to hide it. Kaito glanced at it and gulped.

"You are coming with me," growled the demon.

Anya giggled the moment she saw her master's state as she opened the door, but her smile dropped when she understood that this time it wasn't about her. She prudently retreated into the depth of the house, sending a surprised look at Kaito, as if he had done a triple back-flip and landed on one hand. Gakupo ignored her and made his way upstairs, checking periodically if his catch was still following.

Once on the first floor, Gakupo introduced him into his room, closing the door securely behind them. It was a room obviously dominated by the presence of a massive bed, one large enough to accommodate the demon in his fuller form along with a few guests. There wasn't much else to look at apart from it, save for a few books and two wide windows. This was a room for fucking and sleeping.

"Gakupo... master Venomania," suddenly said the human. "I don't think this is a good idea. I don't.."

"It's an excellent idea," replied his captor. "You want me. I'll give you what you want."

"But I... I don't want you."

The slap made Kaito tumble back a step or two from its force. He raised his own hand to his cheek, touching the red angry mark in shock, but didn't say anything.

"I hate cornered liars. You were hard the moment you saw Karl and I kiss."

"Yes, but--" Kaito stopped in the middle of his sentence when he saw Gakupo raise his hand.

The demon paused, then rose a brow. "Do you have anything to add, my dear?"

"Nothing."

Gakupo turned around and sat on the bed. He was rid of his shirt under moments, the bare muscles of his strong chest knotting and extending with each movement as he turned his attention to his pants.

"Undress," ordered the master.

Kaito obeyed. He could have put a little more enthusiasm doing it, considering that he was getting what he wanted, but that could be chalked down to shyness. he kept looking down, not daring to meet the other's eyes, his hands shaking, as he shredded one piece of clothing after the other until he was standing naked in a pool of clothes.

"Come," said the master.

Kaito approached him with small steps. Gakupo stared in disapproval at his member, that hung limply between his legs. It was a stark contrast to his own, that was now standing proudly, yet the demon explained it to himself that it was due to nervousness. He had heard of such things happening when it was someone's first time, there was nothing to be worried about.

"Stand here," said the master.

Kaito was still now. He was so nervous, though the former duke, he had never met someone this nervous before that they remained entirely unresponsive to proximity. That even spoiled some of Gakupo's fun - he much rather liked his partners to be happy to be with him, lusting after him. Something was amiss, but he ignored it.

"Hey," he grumbled. "Don't act like this is a chore. You're getting boring."

"I don't know what to do," replied the human.

"You can start by kissing me."

Kaito leaned in but, much like his cock, his lips remained limp when pressed against Gakupo's. And then there was some tongue, but it felt more like an afterthought. The demon frowned. All right, maybe asking that from him had been a bad idea. He'll just spice things up himself.

Grabbing Kaito, he swung him on the bed, eliciting a startled cry from the human. The demon turned around, licking his lips, only to see his startled prey crawl away from him in fear. Ah, a little action, nothing better to get a lover's blood pumping.

Gakupo grabbed an ankle and laughed when his captive cried in anguish at being drawn back. Using his supernatural strength, he climbed over the other, holding him down as he rubbed his erection against his ass. He laughed when he felt the human squirm under him, but did relax his hold on him just enough to let him turn around and face him.

Something in Kaito's blue eyes stopped Gakupo in his tracks.

"Please, stop this," said Kaito. "I can't. I don't want to."

Gakupo was about to open his mouth to tell him that he was being ridiculous again when a wave of cold swept over his lower body. The sensation ticked down, sucking away the heat in its way, making it vanish as if it had never been there. The demon froze and slowly looked down, only to see his cock hanging limp.

He suddenly remembered that Miku had rebuilt him in such a way that he couldn't rape someone knowingly.

He looked back up and saw that Kaito was looking down too, had seen him become impotent under seconds, right after he had told him no. Blood drew away from his face as he realized that he had been humiliated in front of the other, that he was going to be forced to back down... that he had been refused! Him! Gakupo Venomania!

"Get out," he whispered.

"Pardon?" dared to ask the human.

The demon saw red.

"Get out!" he screamed in the other's face. He grabbed Kaito by the arm and tore him from beneath him, tossing him off the bed. "Get out of my face!"

His prey fell on the ground with a heavy thud but was quick to try and crawl as far as he possibly could from his captor, backing up into a corner with wide, scared eyes. This only pissed off the monster more, and he felt his form change and enlarge itself until he was a hornet, until even his wings, that he never showed, were out and spread wide. He stared down at Kaito, his eyes entirely black, all five of them, and stepped off the bed. The long talons of his feet clicked menacingly as he walked towards the terrified human soul.

"How dare you refuse me?" cried the monster. "Do you have any idea who I am? No one says no to me! They all beg for me, they all want me in their bed and you... you say no! You SAY NO!"

There was nowhere to run for Kaito. His eyes darted around the room frantically, looking for an escape. He braced himself when he saw the hit coming, but it still sent him sliding across the floor with a snap - a bone snap.

"Get out!" screamed the monster again.

Kaito didn't have the other tell him that twice. Grabbing his clothes with his left hand - he held his right arm close - he made a beeline for the door and rushed down the hallway. Gakupo even heard his bare feet climbing up the stairs - the fool was running straight for the miserable bundle of blankets that had been given to him as a bed. Like a child.

Gakupo slammed the door of his room and crawled under his own blankets, wanting nothing more than to disappear forever after such humiliation.

He took pride in his sexuality. He was the demon that no one could resist, the beautiful one, the desirable one. When he wanted someone, he was never refused, and it had been so ever since he came to this world. And Kaito dared to be the first one to tell him no?

He cursed Miku. That was all her fault, meddling with things that shouldn't be toyed with. He had watched - he had been forced to watch - as she opened him up and changed up things in there, putting spells on his insides, weaving organs in different ways until she was satisfied with the outcome. She would be laughing if she saw that she had made him impotent right when it mattered most. He could almost hear her nagging to him about how she had known since the start that he was going to pass over that line, that she had been right, and he hated it.

Kaito would never look at him the same now. He had already shown weakness this morning by lending his most expensive coat, and now this? This wasn't how a proper revenge was conducted. He was supposed to create fear and respect in his prey, he was supposed to dominate him, yet sometimes he didn't follow through with his intentions. He had waited so long to have his murderer at his mercy, this wasn't the time to falter!

His head emerged from the blankets and he looked at the ceiling, his hand trailing back and forth over the planes of his stomach. It boggled his mind that Kaito had refused him. That had not happened since his human life, before his pact with Asmodeus, when he was still ugly. He was no such thing now. Everyone loved him, save but one. But he had looked at him and had grown hard. So he wanted him? But he didn't? Miku's spell didn't work unless the person was entirely honest about their refusal.

Had he wanted Karl and Elind instead? No, that was impossible. If Kaito liked any men, he liked Gakupo. After all, he was ten thousand times more attractive than both of the butterfly brothers together.

Gakupo was pissed and confused. It just didn't make any sense to him.

He wondered how he could face the human now. He would have to grow firm now, show him who was the boss, and not falter. There would be no more weaknesses. It didn't matter if he wanted Kaito even more now that he had denied himself to him, he would be as unmovable as iron. He would find a way to have him sign the contract so that they be bound together, and then he will really make him pay. The demon didn't know what sort of revenge would satisfy him, but he would think of something eventually.

He was drawn from his thoughts by a light knock on the door. He turned his head in this direction, listening and trying to get a feel of who was on the other side with his energy sense; it was Anya. He narrowed his eyes.

"What?" he barked.

"Master Venomania, lunch is ready," she said.

He was hungry, but he certainly didn't feel like he was ready to get out of bed. He turned over and growled, the sound low and menacing.

"Master Venomania?" She pushed open the door and peeked inside.

She was greeted by a pillow being thrown her way and quickly retreated.

"All right," she said through the door, sounding a little angry for being treated that way. "I see you aren't hungry. Should I put some aside for you?"

Gakupo felt bad that he treated her that way and made an effort to soften himself. "Yes, please do. I'll come down later."

"All right," she replied curtly.

She walked away, and Gakupo listened to her walk down the hallway. She paused in front of the stairway, seemed to hesitate, before... going up? He rose from his bed. What was she going to do upstairs?

He didn't have the will to think about it too hard. With a sigh, he flopped back down again, turning towards the window, and continued his moping.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary: Gakupo and Kaito come home and Gakupo attempts to take Kaito. When the latter tells him no, it is revealed that Miku has rebuilt the demon in such a way that he loses his erection when trying to rape someone that refuses to sleep with him. Furious that he was humiliated in this way, Gakupo beats Kaito, that flees to his room, before reflecting on how his catch is now going to take him less seriously. Anya comes to announce dinner but he doesn't want anyone to enter his room, so he throws her a pillow. She's offended by that.


	8. Anya

He felt numb in his head and pain in his arm. His lip was split, he knew that because when he had touched it his hand had come back covered in blood. This didn't even surprise. He felt it all in a very detached way, as if he was observing his life from outside his body, the life of someone else.

All his life, he had been told that being gay was bad. Sin, they said. He should have expected it in hell, but seeing it for himself was a shock. Seeing another man wanting to engage in it with him was a step beyond, but the top of the top was that this man was none other than Gakupo. And all this time he had thought that being into women meant that one was protected from the vile charms of their own sex?

It seemed that Venomania, once freed of taboo, didn't actually care about what apparatus laid between his partner's legs. Kaito, on the other hand, couldn't rid himself of the idea that it was all wrong, at least not quite yet.

And yet he had become hard when he had seen the two he-demons making out on the couch. He kept noticing how broad Gakupo's shoulders were, his deep voice and his clean-cut jaw, and even the discreet elegance of Arin the butler. He had always noticed those sort of things, even when he was with his wife, even when he longed for the sweet touch of soft breasts. But he didn't want to. So when Gakupo had cornered him, he had gotten scared, paralyzed by the unknown. And sleeping with the enemy? He couldn't bring himself to do that. Even if the demon threatened him into submission, he couldn't enjoy that.

There was a light knock on the door of Kaito's prison-room. He tensed a little, wondering if that was his torturer that was coming to beat him more but was pleasantly surprised to see Anya tiptoe in. She was dressed differently than when he had first met her, with a long skirt, a collar buttoned all the way to her throat and a stained apron; clothes that protected her while she cleaned and cooked.

She approached him with caution, looking worried. "Are you all right? The meal is ready. Gakupo won't be eating but as far as I know, you are allowed to do so."

The human perked up. She didn't seem threatening, and he was indeed hungry. Her concern was a nice change from his usual regimen.

"I would love to," he said, standing up from his bed. He winced when he moved his arm. It hurt like hell - if he may use that expression - and moving didn't help.

"Your arm..." she said, stepping closer. "Oh dear. And your lip is split. We'll have to get that cleaned. What happened?"

He hesitated before talking. "I'm not sure, but I don't think that he was happy to not be able to..." He stopped. Breathed in deeply. "Would you know?"

She shook her head. "It's the first time he reacts like that. What did you do?"

"I don't know, I just said... I just said that I didn't want, and then he wasn't... ready anymore. And then he got mad." Kaito had a sudden revelation. "Is he cursed or something?"

Anya's face fell. "I don't think I have the right to tell you about that. Let's just go downstairs, your arm needs to be straightened before healing.

Kaito nodded passively and followed her downstairs. She led him through the dining room and into the kitchen, where she pointed to a stool. It was a warm, rather dark room, filled with smells from the cooking. Kaito felt safe there.

"What are you doing?" asked Arin, coming in from another room - the living room?

"Mister won't be eating," answered the she-demon, her tail swerving angrily as she said that. "He threw me something when I came into his room like I was some sort of slave. You better stay away too."

The butler nodded. "That doesn't answer the question why the human is here." He sent Kaito a sideways glance, as if uneasy to see him there.

The maid opened a cabinet and pulled out what seemed to be a first aid kit. "Have you seen his face? And I think his arm is broken. He needs healing."

"Are you quite sure that you are allowed to do that?"

"What do I care?" she grumbled. "If mister is against this, he can come down himself and act like a civilized creature instead of a growling beast. Then I might listen to him. Maybe. Look at him, Arin, and tell me that you would leave him like that and do nothing."

The demon in black stepped closer to Kaito, looking at his split lip and the marks of hit on his face. He had never looked more conflicted as he did so. The human remained quiet, letting the other observe him to his heart's content.

"Move," ordered the maid.

Arin stepped aside but kept watching. Anya pulled a chair to sit in front of her patient, holding a cotton pad soaked in some green liquid.

"You're lucky your soul-body is better at healing than a living one," she told Kaito. "You'll be healed by tomorrow after this, and you'll have your arm back in a few days. This might burn a bit, but don't worry."

It did burn, indeed, even more so when she pressed her cotton to his split lip. She was very gentle when she dabbed over his skin, especially when she took care of his arm, yet her patient had to bite his lip to not cry out in pain.

"He's not going to like that," commented the butler.

"Arin, if you want mister to know this bad, you are free to go and get him, but I'll decline any responsibility if he rips your arm out of its socket for disturbing him. Or, you can go get me a brace, and make yourself useful."

The he-demon seemed to be about to say something else but eventually left to get what she had told him to get. Kaito found himself alone with her.

"Can you mend a broken arm?" He asked.

She nodded. "I served in Miss Miku's household before I came here with mister Venomania," she said as if that explained everything. "This doesn't look entirely broken, so it will just need to be held tight and don't put any strain on it. The potion that I put over your arm before will help too with the swelling and the pain."

Kaito's was feeling less and less alienated towards himself, like the sensation coming back in a limb that had been previously asleep. The woman's kindness nurtured him back to life if one wanted to look at it this way, and questions starting to pop up.

"Are there a lot of men that... erm... sleep with other men?" he asked.

Her lips twitched into an amused smile. "Yes, and there are a lot of women that sleep with other women too. We don't care about those sort of things - and the angels as well, by the way, so that's not something about sin or not sin."

"Oh." Kaito looked down. There was something else that he wanted to ask - something that had been bothering him since yesterday night. "How can you stand working for him?"

She paused for a second before she laughed. "To me, he is one of the best masters there is out there, even if that may seem hard to believe for you. He has his bad sides but he's better than many. He's just not good to you." Her face became serious. "And yet, he is kind compared to what might befall you elsewhere. The fact that you are wondering how come I know how to mend broken arms shows how naive you are. Not that it's a bad thing. All souls that entered hell went through that."

Kaito looked down, at his painful arm. It was turning purple around the area where it hurt the most. "How is that in any way considered kind?"

"He wants to break you," she replied, "but he wants to be the one that hurts you. He offered you the spot of pupil? Take it. Take it and stay as far as you can from him, get through learning as quickly as possible, and then you will be free to leave - and a demon."

Kaito shook his head. "I can't. There has got to be a better solution."

"There is no better solution. This is how this world works. You got to take what you get, and then fight tooth and nail to improve it. We are in the demon world. If you fall over and open your skull, no one will so much as bat an eye. Do you understand?"

"I..." Kaito shook his head. "How can anyone live like that?"

"Because everyone wants to be at the top. If you work hard enough you can get whatever you want. I mean, just look around you, and see all a demon can have."

Kaito obeyed, observing the pretty kitchen, thinking about how large the house was, and the luxurious tailor shop they had visited earlier where Gakupo had bought half a dozen outfits without even batting an eye - for someone that he didn't even like. He suddenly wondered what sort of job did the master have, that he could afford both a butler, a maid and two horses with a carriage. Maybe he was a merchant? Or a lawyer?

Right as he was sitting there wondering about all that, Arin came back with a brace and Anya put his arm in place, securing it safely against his chest. She stood up and started to clean up the table in the other room, bringing back the untouched dishes she had prepared and put a plat in front of Kaito for him to enjoy eating. He found that he was ravenous, and eating while having the sexy maid to look at was not too bad. He remembered the feel of her breasts against him this morning, the look she sent him - he wouldn't have been against it now, but she seemed to have other things on her mind.

"Arin!" called a voice from upstairs. "Go tell Matheo to prepare the carriage, I'll be going out to the studio in a moment."

"Right away sir," replied Arin from elsewhere on the first floor - he had disappeared after having brought the brace, not without sending one last disapproving glance in the patched up Kaito's direction.

"Anya, I'll be eating outside, could you pack up my meal for me?"

She didn't reply, but opened a cabinet and pulled out a box, slamming it on the counter of the kitchen.

"Anya?" called Gakupo again. "Did you hear me?"

"I heard you just fine, Master Venomania," she replied. Her tone hit that perfect middle ground where it was obedient, but not obedient enough that it hid her annoyance entirely.

He didn't reply, but moments later he was coming down, looking worried. He intercepted her in the dining room. Kaito pulled his chair so that he could be a little more hidden in the kitchen, but curiosity held him back just enough that he could still glance over the corner at what was happening.

"Anya, sweetie, sugar plum," cooed the purple-haired demon, halfway chasing her as she ignored him and kept putting the table away. "Are you mad at me?"

"Am I mad that you growled at me and threw me something to chase me out of your room?" she replied dryly.

Gakupo's face screwed up. "You know I didn't mean it."

"I'm sure you didn't."

"Anya, please." He reached out and grabbed her arm. "I'm sorry, I wasn't in a good mood - please don't be mad at me."

She looked at him for a moment, before nodding. "All right, you get a pass this time."

Gakupo broke out into a smile and brought her hand to his lips, kissing it. "Don't you know that you look absolutely lovely today?" he said.

"Stop that," she said with a laugh. "I got to work, you horny beast. Don't think that I don't see you coming with your old tricks."

"I do no tricks," he replied, making his way up her arm with a trail of kisses. "I'm being honest, you are gorgeous. Did you try something new with your hair?"

"Master Venomania, I'm being serious," she said, pushing him away playfully. "Neither of us have the time for that. Didn't you say that you were going to the studio?"

"I might stay."

"And watch me do the chores?"

"Can't you stop for me?"

"No." She walked back into the kitchen, and right as he was about to follow her he saw Kaito looking at him. His face hardened instantly, going to his lips, then to his bandage. This didn't seem to please him but he didn't comment on it. Instead, he turned to the door.

"Actually, I think that I'll leave," he said. "But it's only to come back to you quicker, sugar plum!" he said over his shoulder.

He went back upstairs. Anya looked for him around, slightly confused that he had left so fast, before sending an odd look to Kaito.

"Well, that was easy," she muttered to herself. "When sex gets on his mind he usually hounds me for longer than that."

"Is he in love with you?" asked Kaito.

"Me?" she chuckled. "If he was, he would have proposed already. He just wants to have sex with every second person he lays his eyes on, and we're good friends - as good friends as we can be when one is the other's boss. But I guess this is not something you get to see often among humans?"

Somewhere in the house, they heard Arin's voice informing his master that the carriage was waiting for him. Then there was the sound of the hornet coming down the stairs again, crying "Goodbye my sugar fairy!" as he left.

Kaito realized that he was alone with Anya.

However, she quickly made it clear that nothing was to happen between them. When he was finished eating she asked him if he read, and when he said that he did she directed him to the shelf Gakupo kept his books. He was informed that they all came from the library, that mister don't like buying some but he loves reading. Kaito, that was starting to see a pattern, guessed that the purple-haired demon liked his books like he liked his partners: with no commitment, leaving him free to go when the fun part was finished.

He settled for a romance with humans in it our of a longing for his old life, and for the first hour of reading on the living room's couch, the illusion was total. But somewhere around the midway point was a very explicit sex scene, something he never would have found back when he was alive unless he was looking for it. The moment he realized what he was reading, he turned beat red and skipped it. No one ever said that readers needed to read the entirety of a story to enjoy it.

At some point, when the pain in his arm calmed down, he fell asleep; he awoke in the evening, to the sound of the master of the house coming in. He perked over the couch of the living room, and from there he caught a glance of Gakupo walking through the dining room into the kitchen carrying something green - a dress?

"What is that?" Asked Anya, that had been busy preparing dinner up to this point.

"My sweet, it's for you," purred Gakupo. He had not seen Kaito on his way and probably didn't know that he could hear what was said. "I went to the frippery and they had this dress, that was your size - the coincidence was too striking for me not to get it for you."

"You mean that you went to the frippery looking for a dress that suited me?" she replied. There was that amused tone in her voice.

"All right, maybe it did go the way you said it, but do you like it?"

"I do, I'm just trying to figure out why you got it. The cloth is gorgeous, it must have been expensive."

"No expense is too much for my little sugar plum."

"Oh, you and your big words-- Oh, I know what's gotten into you." She moved around in the kitchen, making pots clang as she worked. "You're jealous."

"Jealous?" Gakupo produced a fake laugh. "I'm not jealous!"

"You absolutely are. You're jealous that I patched up Kaito and I didn't even spare you a kiss. I'll let you know that you called this upon yourself, mister Gakupo Venomania."

There was silence. Kaito sank down on the couch, not wanting to be spotted. He was obviously listening to something he wasn't supposed to hear. And yet, it was odd to hear the monster that terrified him trying to charm Anya, being so gallant - he recalled when she had told him about how his captor was being mean to him specifically.

"Promise me you won't start liking him more than you like me," suddenly said the purple-haired demon.

"Oh, you're such a dunce sometimes, you know that?" she cooed. "I'll always like you, granted you don't do something too stupid. He's not going to steal my friendship from you."

"Oh... it better be. Also, I don't want to see him at dinner. Bring him his food upstairs and see that he's locked in for the night."

"All right Master Venomania."

Kaito, feeling as if he was really intruding, rolled off the couch and discreetly walked away. He made it to the hallway and up to the stairs without being seen; he thanked God for small miracles.


	9. The Singing Lesson

Anya loved the dress. She made sure to thank him in his favorite way: by taking him in his full form, deep inside of her. Satan did he love when she did that. He woke up feeling entirely sated, for once, and in a better mood than the day before.

He had not seen the human since he had spotted him in the kitchen yesterday, all patched up and in Anya's care. As per his request, Kaito had not been allowed to come and sit downstairs with him at the table, having his meals brought to him upstairs instead. However, Gakupo had heard him move around the house, and had noticed that a couple of books from his bookshelf had gone missing - it seemed like the human was doing his best to entertain himself.

Not that he cared, as long as this rat of a human stayed away from him.

After having gone for repetition with his Bees at the studio in the morning, he had decided to work a little more on his singing. He had a show coming up, and there were still places where he would falter during his solo - especially around the bits where he had to go thirty seconds without inhaling. It was a complicated piece, a human piece actually, one from a famous opera.

So, after lunch, he went to his practice room, also known as the place where no one was allowed to disturb him until he came out - even for dinner. It was a quite spacious room, that served both as a dance room, with large mirrors on one end, and a singing room, with a piano in the corner.

He did some breathing exercises - those were the most important for what was to come - he warmed up his voice by going for the highest notes he was capable of playing all the way to the lowest voice. And then he started the real work.

But just because he was singing didn't mean that his hearing was diminished. Around half-an-hour later, he heard small footsteps making its way down the hallway that led to his practice room, that stopped right in front of the door. He tried his best to pretend as if he was not aware that someone was there but it was no use - he couldn't focus. Eventually, he had to give in and stop. The other held his breath.

"I can still hear you, Kaito Shion," he snapped. Neither of his servants would have been this stupid - they knew how keen were Gakupo's ears.

There was a shuffling behind the door but the human didn't answer.

"Just come in and tell me what you want, that we might be done with that," said the demon.

Kaito timidly pushed the door, looking in around and around with much curiosity. His brace was off now, but he still used his arm with precaution - the healing time of souls was practically instantaneous compared to the one of living humans. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, standing awkwardly.

Gakupo crossed his arms and stared his visitor down. It didn't please him to see his catch again, not after what happened between them. In fact, he would have been happy to never see him again: he had considered sending him to the pits, just to be rid of him once and for all.

"Kaito, speak," he ordered. "What in the whole damn hell do you want?"

"Nothing, really." He shuffled his feet, before looking up at the demon. "I was just... I thought you wouldn't catch me. You have an amazing voice."

"Don't try and flatter me and spot it out already," growled Gakupo.

"No, I really just came to listen. I love singing - not that I sing well myself, but I mean... Are you a singer?"

The demon didn't reply right away and kept staring the human down, narrowing his eyes at him. When the other started to squirm from being looked at too long, he gave in. "We could say that I am a singer, among other things."

"So you are working on a performance? I think that I know this song."

"Do you?" Gakupo looked down to the music paper spread on the piano next to him. "Well, it makes sense. It's a song imported from the human world, but a local composer changed it a little so that it could be easier to sing. It's still a hard piece though - I don't specialize in opera."

"Ah." Kaito became quiet for a moment, before speaking up again. "I... actually, I wanted to ask, but were there... moments where you didn't breathe? Or maybe you were breathing by the nose and singing with the mouth?"

Gakupo, taken by surprise by the image, snorted. "There's only one tube, you can't have the air going both ways at once. Think before asking stupid questions."

"Oh, erm..." Kaito looked down.

Filled with the satisfaction of having caught the human being an idiot, Gakupo crackled and his mood brightened. This mortal had no idea about singing, the demon was the expert. This gave him the urge to show off. He grabbed one of the papers with the hardest parts, breathed in deeply and poured his heart out.

Kaito looked up at him, his mouth hanging more and more open as he watched the other going through the complicated motions. The demon was used to impress, but there was a special flavor to the sort of ego stroking provided by impressing your enemy. By the time he was done, all the clouds that had been darkening his mood were chased away and he almost bowed to his public. The human didn't bother hiding his enthusiasm: he clapped.

There was something odd about the moment, something about how it was entirely unexpected. Gakupo noticed that, yet he chose to ignore the irregularity. He was a creature that was centered around pleasure and its pursuit, and so far it all felt pleasurable; he didn't wonder beyond that, whether or not he was actively pursuing his revenge on the human.

"Would you like to try?" he asked.

Kaito froze and looked at him as if finding it had to believe that the other would say that. "I would try? I can't sing like you."

Gakupo snorted. "I'll show you the easiest part."

Kaito seemed to think about it, before nodding slowly and stepping closer to Gakupo. The demon caught a whiff of his smell - it reminded him of a cold winter day when the snow had freshly fallen, with a touch of sweetness that he couldn't place.

The hornet went through his music paper, thinking about which part he should assign to his new student, before deciding on a couplet about how the protagonist felt trap. The irony of the passage didn't escape the demon, that chuckled when he presented it to Kaito and laughed when he saw his enemy's face screw up.

"Have anyone ever told you that you have a bad sense of humor?" muttered the human.

This only increased Gakupo's hilarity.

That picked the human's ego, that started to sing while reading the notes. He discovered it as he went, so of course, he failed, but then went on. Gakupo frowned and stopped him.

"No no, you take the notes from way to high," he said. "You got to breathe in your stomach for endurance."

"Breathe in my stomach?"

The demon placed a hand on Kaito's stomach. "Take a deep breath into my touch."

The human tried, but he was super tensed. It took him a few more times, and the steady encouragements of his teacher, to calm down and to let the muscles of his stomach flex as he drew air.

"There. When you sing, you use certain parts of your body like a drum," explained Gakupo, "and those parts change depending on what notes you produce. This couplet start with higher notes, so you use your throat, which you can do just fine, but then it gets lower on--" he grabbed the paper and read que _l'âme_ s'y _fend_. Say 'fend' but breathe in your stomach."

" _Fend..._ "

"Again. This time correctly."

" _Fend_!"

This time, Kaito had done it right. The note came out clear and deep, making Gakupo shiver in delight. He pulled his hand away from the human's stomach, startled: he had not expected that sound, much less his spontaneous reaction to it.

"Good, that's good," rambled the demon. "Want to try and sing the whole thing?"

Of course, it wasn't perfect on the second try, nor on the third or on the forth, but Kaito was progressing quickly. He had talent. Gakupo was annoyed to see that, but at the same time, it was exciting to see the human learn so fast. And his voice... it was straightforward and clear, but it certainly didn't lack flexibility. The demon liked listening to that voice a lot.

Maybe too much, he decided, as he felt arousal tickle the edge of his mind.

"Sing it again," he asked, "from the start, and this time try to not make any mistakes."

Kaito obeyed but, much to his surprise, Gakupo joined him. He did well not to falter one bit, and their voices danced together. The demon closed his eyes and listened carefully, trying to catch mistakes, but instead was taken in how natural it sounded. It was as if they were made to sing together.

And of course, that was another dangerous thought to be tempted by.

Gakupo stopped singing right as it occurred to him that his mind was slipping a dangerous path. Kaito copied him, looking at him with a confused look on his face.

"Did I make a mistake?" he asked.

"No, but I believe that this is enough for that passage." Gakupo turned away and started to nervously gather the papers for the song. Where had his confidence gone? He felt like his inwards were melting, and all he wanted to do was to kiss this idiot of a human. It was by no means reasonable, but he could only bet that his lips would feel amazing. And so would his struggling body against his, and the small, suppliant moans he would produce, and--

He had to willingly stop himself from continuing this dangerous thread of thoughts before getting hard.

"Where did you learn to sing like that?" asked Kaito.

"Hm? Why do you care?" replied Gakupo.

"Oh, I mean, you must have had a good teacher."

"Oh, I suppose so. Miku was the one that taught me and everyone say that she has a beautiful voice, but at the same time I never was allowed to go to one of her concerts. Something about me not being from the right crowd, I think. Even when they started to get rarer and rarer was I forbidden from going there. Not that it matters at all today."

"Miku?" repeated Kaito. He had heard this name before, in Anya's mouth.

"My master. The one that made me into a demon."

"Ah."

There was silence. Gakupo remembered that the other had rejected his proposal for signing the contract - had torn it in half, actually. The demon had had no such liberties when he was presented with his own master, as his soul already belonged to Asmodeus at the time and he could decide what to be done with him.

"Could you teach me the next couplet?" asked Kaito.

"And why should I do that?" Gakupo tilted his head, pushing a fake smile on his lips. "You are in no way entitled to my teaching."

The human's mood visibly darkened, but he didn't answer. He was like a spoiled child having been caught stealing cookies - a surge of hate rose in the demon's heart as he made the comparison between the two. Indeed, Kaito had a lot in common with one. He had not changed one bit since he had taken the liberty to murder him as if that was something good people did to others! He still thought that he was in a position to make demands. Maybe he _should_ be dropped off at the pits and see what other options he really had. That will teach him some damn respect!

As he let those thoughts invade his mind, Gakupo's smile was growing wider and wider. He wanted to hurt him. Not just physically, he wanted to break his prey, his murderer, he wanted to look in his eyes and see no more life there, no more will to live but he couldn't die. Was this wrong? Maybe, by human standards.

"I could teach you how to sing," cooed the demon in honey-coated voice. "I could teach dancing too... Oh, what would you stay to that? I could teach you to dance on some freak's cock, something out of the deepest pit of hell. This kind of dancing I'm sure you would like."

Kaito's eyes widened in horror. "You can't force me."

Having that thrown back in his face almost made Gakupo wince, but he kept his mask of gleeful happiness on. How dare he bring that up. "I can't, but I can have other people come in. Arin is a good butler, he's very obedient. If I asked him, he would hold you down to the bed and do you as I watched. Or I could teach you the ropes by making you watch me, and then I can sell you off to the highest bidder."

The human took a step back, angry and afraid at the same time. "Only whores get sold like that," he spat. "It's disgusting."

"Exactly, it is. They all lined up, all the rich freaks of Allacard, the favorites of the Red Square, and they kept raising the price for that star dancer that had been teasing them with guests apparitions in the latest, most depraved shows. They all wanted that virgin they had been teased with, and the most desperate of them all got him. I wonder if the one you will be sold to will get a barded cock for the occasion?"

Kaito seemed confused for a moment, frowning as he struggled to understand; the realization hit him like a ton of bricks. "You are-- you were sold like that. In an auction."

"For eight _thousands_ Perses. Ten kilos of gold! More than what he could afford. He told me in the morning that it was worth it and then sold his house. And you want to know the best part?" Gakupo stepped closer, looming over his prey. His skin prickled with the urge to shift into his hornet shape. "I had none of it. Not a cent."

His human seemed terrified. "You won't do that to me?" He asked. "Please."

Gakupo paused, tilted his head, and smiled. Something odd overcame him, a feeling he had not felt in a long time, that he couldn't name. "You mean, sell you like I was sold? I might."

"But if I would be your pupil... you said you would protect me if I was!"

"Oh, since when did you decide that you would sign anything with me?" Gakupo chuckled and gently grabbed his jaw, stroking his soft cheek with his thumb. "Not that I don't like what you are talking about, mind you. But I wouldn't sell you." He leaned in to whisper in his ear. "I would much rather do that myself, you know. I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world.

The other shuddered in his grip like a trapped, trembling bird.

"Your arm is healed," suddenly said Gakupo.

"What?"

"I broke it, didn't I? I heard it crack when I hit you. And it's healed now."

Kaito blinked twice. "Yeah. I was surprised. Anya said that it was normal."

"Of course she did. It's amazing how fasts things can heal when you are a soul. You could even regrow a torn limb or have your head made to be detachable."

Kaito paled when he understood where the monster was getting at.

"You didn't realize that, didn't you?" said Gakupo. "Of course. You're an idiot, we already established that. A short-sighted idiot. I shove proof after proof that you wouldn't last a moment alone under your nose, and you still haven't begged me to take you under your protection. Maybe I'll eventually run out of patience with you. I'll know what to do with you then."

"Please don't do that... Why do you want to hurt me so much?"

"Why? _Why?_ " Gakupo burst in laughter but it was joyless, bitter even. "My dear, dear imbecile. You have no idea how much you made me suffer by sending me here. I am going to make you taste every single one of my pains, one way or another."

Kaito tried to shake his head, pure horror on his pretty face, but he was still held still by the demon's grip.

Gakupo rose a brow. "We had a good talk. Looks like I can actually interact without having to end it with a beating." He let him go and the human stumbled back. "Get out. I got other things to do than to entertain you."

Kaito backed up all the way to the door and escaped running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Perse is worth around 50 dollars. 8 000 is equal to four million dollars.


	10. Cupid's Park

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: this chapter contains graphic violence and mentions of rape. For those that wish to skip it, I have left a summary at the bottom.

He was shaking.

He had spent the rest of the afternoon hiding in the miserable hole that was his room, hiding from the monster that lived in the same house than him. He had felt as if he was going to cry several times, but he didn't. He refused to.

He had not thought it possible to hate a man as strongly as he hated Gakupo, and fear them at the same time. How could he threaten to sell him? How had Kaito fallen so low that he could be sold? What sort of place allowed for something like that?

Books had barely kept the anger-filled thoughts at bay. He had been served his dinner in his room and told not to come down again by Anya, and he barely acknowledged her presence when she told him that. She seemed ready to add something before she left, but didn't. Not that he cared. In the end, she was on his side.

He finished his book right as the last light was passing through the window. Going down to put it back on its shelf, he noticed that Gakupo's coat was hanging unattended in the entrance.

It was one of those impulses that latch on you in the moment and that don't let you think of the consequences. He had passed Gakupo's room on the way down. Kaito had made himself very small as he had crept in front of the half-open door, but he had caught a glimpse of the demon undressing. The expanse of exposed skin had imprinted itself on the back of the human's retina, the curve of a back, the gliding of hands as they removed pants off narrow hips. How he had wished to have a poisonous knife again so that he might slice its immaculateness and paint red streaks all over this monster. It would be like trailing kisses on a lover's skin, except that the feelings would be of hate, yet Kaito would take in it an equal delight.

Leather was skin, he thought, animal skin that had been ripped off to cover a person. The coat was gorgeous, a gage of its owner's wealth, paid with tips thrown in the filth of Gakupo's disgusting debauchery. A whore deserved no such ornament. Kaito took a knife from the kitchen.

Yet he hesitated as he stood in front of the coat. It was a beautiful work in itself, and Kaito was no blind to the quality.

Those moments of hesitation were enough for Arin to catch him.

The human heard him coming and turned in time to see him arrive in the doorway. The demon froze, looked at Kaito, then his eyes darted to the knife and the coat, quickly. The butler's eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" he asked in his sternest voice.

Kaito dropped the knife and backed away. That was answer enough.

"Master Venomania!" called Arin. "Your human!"

There was a 'what?' from upstairs, then the sound of someone moving around a room quickly. Kaito's heart stopped. He didn't think, he turned around and rushed to the entrance door. It was locked from the inside, he opened it, and ran into the night, down the street.

There were still demons outside, the sun had just set. He passed many a strange creature, beings with tentacles in the face, beautiful ladies clad in opulent dresses, with claws, wings, snouts, all monstrous in one way or another. They glanced at him briefly, but as they registered that he was entirely human, they looked again. Some seemed amused, other disgusted, but they all watched him like he was the one that was out of place.

Kaito ran as fast as he could, without looking back, without thinking really. He had made it halfway down the street, chased like a specter in the unnatural light of the lampposts when he heard a voice behind. It was powerful, covering the ruckus of the crowd, the voice of a man that could sing opera.

"Kaito! Come back here this instant!"

The human only fled faster. He could see a park ahead, full of deep bushes and shadowy trees, full of secrets and hiding place. 'Cupid's Park', read a panel on the gate. Those demons and their damn irony. He rushed in.

"Kaito!"

He ignored the calls of his demon as his eyes darted around. Leaving the path, he sank into the darkness, behind some foliage that might hide him from view. He cursed himself for wearing white, but it was the only change of clothes he had. He hoped he was hidden enough.

Kaito looked back, searching for the familiar shape of his perpetrator, having felt predatory eyes on him, but didn't see anyone. Because he wasn't careful about where he was going almost ran into the lady that was hiding there as well.

Only she wasn't hiding, and she wasn't alone. There was a whole group of demons, and their clothes, or rather how little clothes they wore, made Kaito blush. He knew what they were in an instant, the way they dressed universally recognizable: they were prostitutes. Lace, leather, and fur displayed their voluptuous bodies and their faces were hidden under makeup.

The woman he almost tackled took one look at him and started to scream at him angrily in Latin. Kaito didn't know where to put himself.

"Pardon? I'm sorry, I am leaving."

"That's our tuff, idiot, move away," cried a man at him in English. He hissed at the human, displaying a mouthful of shark teeth. "Get your own corner of the park."

Some others chimed in, there were some more hissing and some growling. Kaito turned away and ran, but he didn't go far - he smacked square into a strong chest.

For a brief, heart-stopping second he thought that he had run into Gakupo himself, only to feel relieved when he looked up and saw a man that he didn't know. He tried to pull back, but a hand gripped his wrist and held him there.

"You speak English, huh," said the demon, raising a brow. He had a thick accent but was understandable. "Seems to be the new language in fashion up there, eh?"

"Yes, yes, I speak English," said Kaito. "I'm sorry sir, I didn't mean to run into you. You see, I am in a hurry..."

"Aw, why so?" said a she-demon that emerged from behind the first. She was bony and sharp, with spikes, fangs, and claws. "Little human, stay and play!"

"We were just looking for a little someone to have a little fun, but whores don't take broke folks like us," said the first. "How about you come with us and we'll give you a place to sleep?"

A place to sleep? Those two looked scary but maybe they were nice.

"Please help me," said Kaito. "There is a man after me, he wants to hurt me - he's been keeping me in his home and beating me."

"Awww, look at him, Agnus," said the woman, tracing a claw over the human's cheek. "Don't you want to keep him? He's not too badly built for a human, quite tall, and lovely looking. He'd make a perfect bed pet for us."

"Indeed," said the one that had been called Agnus.

"Wait, what?" Kaito suddenly realized that he was still being held prisoner and that the grip on his wrists didn't falter when he pulled on it. "A bed pet? What do you mean?"

"Don't you know? You are in the red light district of Allacard, the place where all the sex workers are," said Agnus. "This is Cupid's Park. At night, you are either a whore or a buyer, but everyone knows that for humans it's first come first serve."

The woman snickered. "Too bad for that other demon, you're ours now."

"No, let me go, please," begged Kaito. He looked around, to the other demons, but the prostitutes only watched.

Over there, between the trees, Gakupo was standing and watching too, his arms crossed, a wicked grin on his face.

"Tell me, lil' guy," said the spikiest of the two demons, "have you had sex since you came to hell? Are you a virgin?"

"I think he is," said Agnus. His face was not entirely human; at this moment he looked like a dog as he sniffed his prey. "He still got some smell of the living clinging to him."

"Let's try him right now!" she replied excitedly. "Hold him down, I'll get rid of his clothes. It's not like he'll need them." She clinked her claws together.

Kaito remembered what Gakupo had said earlier that day: if she tore a limb, it would regrow, and then she would be able to tear it off all over again. Could he die when he was already dead? He didn't want to find out.

Agnus pushed him down to the ground. Kaito fought back and was punched in the face by the woman, ceasing his resistance for a moment; next thing he knew he was laying in the grass and the dirt with the two demons over him. He was held down. Sharp things probed his sides. The prostitutes were gleefully shouting encouragements in Latin.

Kaito looked at Gakupo, the only one he knew. He still stood way over there, unmoving, his face unreadable, his arms crossed. He had been right all along. No matter how much he would hurt him, hell could hurt Kaito more.

Despite them talking about ripping off his clothes, they seem to think better of it and started to undo his pants. He struggled against them, screaming at them to get off him, pleading even. They laughed! The woman said things to the man Kaito didn't understand, and he yanked down the human's pants. He then worked on his own as she pressed her claws to his throat, telling him about how he would regret it if he moved.

Despair was working its curse on him. He looked one last time in Gakupo's direction. He was so far away, he had not moved. He wasn't going to help him.

"Please," he whispered.

"I said, I'll rip your throat if you move!" cried the woman, making her claws click. "Or actually... how about you put that pretty mouth of yours to good use? There's no reason I would be let out of the fun."

She got on her knees and pulled up her skirt. Kaito recoiled in horror. Right where her lady parts should have been was a toothy smile, and those fangs looked sharp. A lizard tongue flickered out, licking him on the cheek before the jaws snapped.

"You know about French kiss?" she teased.

Kaito closed his eyes. This was too much. He stopped fighting them and started to pray for them to be done as fast as possible as he tried to think about something else. A place far away. When he was still alive, there was a field of rapeseed that bloomed in front of his house. His sons liked to play in the yellow flowers and always came back covered in mud. Sometimes the boys from their village came and played with them, and sometimes they could come back crying because they had lost a fight. They stopped crying after the third time they were called crybabies by the others.

"I think that he understood his lesson," said a voice.

Kaito's eyes shot open. Gakupo was standing over them with that chilling fake smile of his, the one he had right before he would lash out. Yet the human was relieved to see him.

The two aggressors looked up at him, frowning.

"Go find your own human," snapped Agnus.

"Wait, I think it's the one that lost him in the first place," said she. She chuckled and sat back on her heels. "It's over, dude, he belongs to us now."

Gakupo thew his head back and laughed. As he did so, the crowd of onlookers, that had grown quiet when he appeared, started to whisper excitedly among themselves.

"Get off him," said the purple-haired demon. "Last warning."

"Hold him down Agnus," said the woman. She stood up and adjusted her skirt, before addressing Venomania: "Finders keepers. Fuck off before I tear you a new one."

Kaito didn't see the kick go off, all he knew was the moment where Agnus was hit in the nose. He let go of the human and rolled on the grass next time him, holding his face as blood gushed between his fingers.

"It's the Hornet!" someone screamed in the dark.

"What--" said the woman.

She finished her sentence with a blood-curdling scream as her arm was ripped off. Gakupo tossed to the side like a rag doll. Warm blood splattered on Kaito's face. The onlookers started crying out some things - crying out in excitement, crying for more gore.

Gakupo looked over Kaito in his monstrous form, the ripped limb danging grotesquely from one of his lower arms. Bug-like wings were spread wide behind him, catching the light of the streetlights. On his face was a chilling smile.

He crouched, looming over the human. Kaito flinched but didn't move away. He would be crazy to run now.

"Pull your pants up," said Gakupo. "We're going back.

It was with shaky hands that Kaito obeyed. His aggressors had vanished in the dark after they had realized who they were dealing with, and the prostitutes still looked, their eyes wide with excitement, but didn't come any closer. The human tried to stand, but his legs were too weak for that. The air was filled with the scent of blood, and he wanted to puke.

"Get up," ordered Gakupo.

Kaito's head was spinning. His heart was still beating wildly in his chest and showed no sign of slowing down. "I can't."

The demon picked up the human in his three free arms, holding him close to his chest. Kaito tensed, but he was not hit. He could feel Gakupo's powerful muscles through his shirt and he could stay that the others feared him. No one would take him away from here.

He started to sob. He was safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary: After their talk, Kaito, shaken, tries to take his revenge by cutting through Gakupo's favorite coat with a knife. Arin stops him and calls Gakupo. Kaito, terrified, flees the house and into Cupid's Park, where he meets a couple of demons that attempt to rape him. Gakupo comes to the rescue, ripping one of the aggressor's arms off, before heading home with a shocked Kaito.


	11. Soft Talking

"Cupid's Park, really?" muttered Gakupo as he headed back. "That's where the lowest of the low go, both in terms of prostitutes and solicitors. We from Eden street barely tolerate them, they only serve us when a client wants an orgy."

Kaito was ashamed of his tears. He forced himself to stop, yet they wouldn't stop running down his face. Gakupo continued talking as if he didn't see them.

"They have no class, no shame, and sometimes they don't even have a bed. They give us high-end courtiers and courtesans a bad name."

Someone called the demon's name. Kaito felt him inhale deeply before he turned around, all smiles, but holding his human close. The latter pressed his face against Gakupo's chest, hiding his soaked face.

"Venomania," said a demoness. She had the standard horns and wings and was entirely red. She took a step back when she saw that he was carrying someone. "Oh, you are busy! I just wanted to ask about tomorrow night? My uncle urged me to drop by, you know how it is..."

"Are you asking me if I am ready for one of my favorite regulars?" said Gakupo. "Of course I am. You can also tell him that I have collected what he asked me to get. I am sure that he will be thrilled."

"Really? That's great. I best be going. A good evening to you!"

"A merry evening to you too," answered the he-demon.

Kaito's nose was filled with the smell of cinnamon and tobacco. Gakupo's chest was rigid and colder than a normal body, but not enough so that it was uncomfortable. Resting against it was like resting against the chest piece of armor. Somehow, the feel of him calmed him enough that by the time they passed the door of the house he wasn't crying anymore.

"Master Venomania," cried Arin as soon as he saw them. "The carpet! And your shirt! Was it necessary to bring that arm back?"

Kaito looked up to see a surprised Gakupo staring at the ripped arm of the park's she-demon as if he just remembered that he had that. What sort of place was Allacard, that one could walk through a street full of people have a casual conversation with someone they knew while carrying a torn limb? Arin didn't even look that surprised - just annoyed that he was going to have to clean the blood.

The human shuddered in horror.

"All torn limbs are to be left in the entrance, sir," said the butler sternly. "I have checked your coat, and there was no damage done. I can take the rest from here."

Kaito felt Gakupo's three-armed grip tighten around him.

"That is, if you wish, master Venomania," said Arin.

"Prepare a warm bath for him," said the hornet.

He didn't wait for an answer after that: he dropped the torn arm where he stood and walked away, into the living room. The couch squeaked ever so slightly under their combined weight, but the demon didn't let go of his human.

That was the moment where Kaito realized that he was absolutely filthy. Blood had rained on him and he had smudged the one on his face all over Gakupo's white shirt. His own was ruined beyond repair, covered in dirt and grass stains that had come from his struggling. Surely his earlier tears had smeared dirt all over his face further than it was already. He didn't dare imagine it.

Gakupo had still not put him down.

"Why did you look at me when you were being hurt?" whispered the demon. He shook his head. "What did you even expect from me?"

"You came," answered the human.

"You didn't know if I would."

"I had to try. You came."

Gakupo looked away, at some spot on the wall that was no different than the rest of it. Kaito looked at the strong line of his jaw, the way how his human skin gave way to his inhuman one right at the neck and the curve of his antennas. He was beautifully carved down to the most minute details, in a way the human couldn't quite believe had been done naturally.

"You are a hornet," said the human.

"Hm?" Gakupo's purple eyes came back to the man in his arms. "You only figure that now?"

"I didn't. Someone said it. You do have something of an insect."

That seemed to amuse the demon. "Do you mean it as a compliment, or are you just basing that judgment from the fact that I have antennas?" He curled the latter to emphasize what he had just said.

"I meant that... uuh... in general." Kaito waved his hands around. This entire conversation felt surreal. He was half expecting the monster to snap at him, was surprised that he had not already. "Not to be rude. Do people in hell like to... sleep... with insects?"

"Not all of them, definitely. But again, I am tailored to what one would call a niche."

"What sort of niche?"

"My niche," said the demon matter-of-factly. He laughed. "Don't make such a face, I am just messing with you. But I wonder how much of it you can guess."

Kaito looked to the side. Gakupo had still not let him go and he was starting to think that a hornet could be sexy, god saves him. He wasn't sure he liked how this conversation was going, but he needed to keep playing this weird game that was going on between the two of them.

"I guess..." he started to say. "Well, you're tailoring for those that like men."

"That's a start."

"Promiscuous men..." Kaito thought back to all he had gathered about Gakupo's sexuality over the last few days. "You're a bit forceful and scary." He suddenly became quiet.

"You're warming. Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," said Kaito.

That made the demon laugh in delight. "Feeling shy?"

"No... A bit. I'm not sure I want to think about this at all."

One of the hornet's hand trailed down Kaito's shirt, over the buttons that would open it. "You mean, you don't want to think about me having sex?"

"It's not that!"

Gakupo laughed, deep and sexy, as he leaned over the human, his wide shoulders blocking out the light. "You were the one that talked about sex first."

"I was just asking!"

"I think that it's very interesting that you ask at all."

Dammit. Why did Kaito have to be curious about that, out of all things? Now Gakupo was all close and personal, getting ideas again, and the human certainly wasn't interested. Was he?

"Giving me the silent treatment?" The demon, thankfully, leaned back against the couch. "Very well, then I get to ask a question as well. Did you ever sleep with a man?"

"Even if I did I wouldn't sleep with you," muttered Kaito

This made Gakupo laugh. "I didn't even ask about that, and your mind just jumped straight to it! And you want me to believe that you don't want me, even a little bit?"

"You are a giant walking insect. What makes you believe that just anyone would want you?"

"Oh, but they do." Gakupo smiled. "Not everyone, but a fair share of it. Not that you will be getting any, after all, you had your chance and you missed it."

"Good." Kaito started to pull himself to his feet, out of those all-too-strong arms. "You are no better than those thugs at the park."

"Don't make me withdraw my offer of a bath, Kaito," said the demon. "You need it. So how about you stay quiet now?"

Kaito turned to the other. He wanted to say something yet couldn't find the right words. Luckily, right at this moment, Arin came back.

"It's ready," he said.

"I certainly didn't forget," said Gakupo as he stood. "That you were about to cut through my expensive coat with a knife when you were surprised - don't think I wasn't told that already. You are lucky you didn't touch it. For each hole, you would have made I would have pierced your own. Now, you shouldn't let the water get cold. Hurry along."

Gakupo ushered the human towards his butler, that took him from there and led him to the first flood. Kaito was shocked when he entered a tiled room with a wide bathtub. There was a sink there too, but no toilet.

Come to think of it, Kaito had not had had to relieve himself ever since he had come to hell. He had been so busy with other things that he had not noticed. Could it be that he had left that need behind with his body? But he still ate? That didn't make any sense.

"Would you like me to leave as you disrobe?" Said Arin.

They were alone together and Kaito, that had been a nobleman in his former life, used to think that taking a back while assisted by a servant was normal. He suddenly realized that he would be naked in front of another man, and with all that had changed in the last days, he didn't quite know how he felt about that.

"I will come back when you are in the water," said the demon before bowing and leaving.

Kaito got rid of his clothes, wincing when he looked at them and saw how filthy they had become. He hoped that he would get the new changes soon, that he shouldn't have to wear them ever again. It was as if remains of his would-be rapists' perversity still clung to them. He simply did not want to think about what might have gone down if he had not been saved.

Saved... by Gakupo. Heavens, he was so pathetic. He was starting to realize how being a demon didn't only involve a monstrous appearance, but also strength - more strength than him - and status. In the human world, the onlookers, the prostitutes of Cupid's Park, would have helped at least. Maybe. He had never dealt with them in his lifetime, preferring to have them as far away from him as possible. He saw them as filthy.

But now, it was a prostitute that owned him. He needed to become a demon so that he could escape, he thought as he lowered himself in the warm water. The thought surprised him, yet he felt as if it had been underlying his train of thoughts those last days. As much as he hated the idea of being one, of becoming Gakupo's pupil, he couldn't go on like that.

And then he wouldn't have to be a pupil forever. One day he would be a demon... would he be able to leave then? He had seen demons working. Would he get a job too? A house? Restart his life from the bottom? He would have to learn to work, he had no skill he could perform for money and it was out of the question that Gakupo would teach him anything of his trade. Just thinking about selling his own body was the ultimate downfall.

Signing that contract didn't sound like a good solution, but it was the best solution at the moment. He was stubborn, but he was no fool because he knew that the fastest he got on with it, the better were his chances to get out of this damn house without going mad.

Even if it did feel like he was already going mad.

"May I come in?" Asked Arin from the other side of the door.

"Yes," answered the human.

Kaito looked back at Arin over his shoulder, and this time really took a look at him. He was not too used to mustaches, they had not been in fashion during his time alive, but he had to admit that if anything the butler had a face for it. He had strong jaws, but hollowing cheeks, which only accentuated his sharp cheekbones. There was something proud and fierce about him, barely restrained under an exterior of stern control and docility. Kaito had never seen him smile.

The demon had taken off his back jacket, revealing a looser shirt under, and had rolled up his sleeves. He was ready to wash the human. How odd it was, to be serviced by a butler and sleep on rags at night.

He approached the tub, kneeling next to it, presenting a clean rag that he soaked and rubbed with soap. Kaito stared off at the wall as he did so, pretending as if he was not very aware that he was entirely naked and sitting in clear water with another man. Somewhere far away, he heard the maniac laugh of the spider from his dream.

"Why do you serve Gakupo?" asked the human, just to break the silence.

Arin remained quiet for a while, and Kaito almost started to believe that he was going to be ignored when he answered. "It's Lex Infernum."

"Pardon?"

"It can be translated to the Hell-Law. It stands for the rule of the strong. I serve master Venomania because he is strong in his own way, and I make sure that he remains strong so that I may be protected in his shadow. Anya also obeys him because of that, and so do the Bees, and the people of Cupid's Park when he tells them 'come, a client wants someone to fuck while I fuck them.' Lex Infernum is what holds us together as a society, if you break it everyone will know."

"If I become a demon, will I have to obey it too?"

Arin considered before answering. "When you will become one, you will have the right to chose your own master. Until then, you'll obey master Venomania, by virtue of the contract that will bind you together as master and pupil."

"I have signed no contract."

The butler stopped moving. "I'll give you some advice," he said in a low voice, so low that Kaito had to lean in to hear. "You probably think you have seen it all now, but I promise that you have not. Lex Infernum crushes the rebellious weak. If you don't want to end being thrown to the wolves when master Venomania tires of you, you better sign that contract and spread those legs when he asks you the second time."

Kaito shuddered, as visions of a furious Gakupo in his hornet form towering over him flashed before his eyes. "He can't force me to do that either."

"And you are a fool to think that you have the leisure of a better choice."

"I think I know that."

"Do you?" said the other man. There was a silence. "I am sorry. I wanted to speak my mind and I overstepped, this is entirely unacceptable coming from a man of my condition. Please turn yourself to me, that I may get rid of the grim on your face.

Kaito did as he was told, docile. He had heard the words of the demon and they had only made him realize that he had already taken a decision: he would be going to talk to Gakupo first thing in the morning.


	12. Predictions and Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: this chapter contains mentions of physical abuse.

Kaito could have gone right after his bath to Gakupo and tell him, but he felt as if he wanted to mourn the last of his humanity and his freedom: he went to bed instead. Arin offered him a change of clothing, a large and old nightgown that always slipped to reveal one shoulder, cut in a coarse and thick material. It was warm enough.

He had grown used to sleep in his pile of rags. If he fluffed them enough beforehand, they became comfortable enough that he might fall asleep with no unnecessary delay. As for the cold, well, one grew used to everything. It didn't mean that he had fulfilling nights. In fact, his exhaustion might have something to do with how emotional he had been lately.

He tried, as he drifted to sleep, to see the good in his situation. An image of the park's aggressors flashed in his mind instantly, and he had to concur: being in Gakupo's house was certainly better than being stuck with those people. He would have lived without knowing that there were worse people than his captor, at least he could be glad that he wasn't going to live with them.

And Anya was nice, maybe. She was certainly nice to look at, and he didn't have to feel bad when he thought about how lovely were her curves when they pressed against the fabric of her clothes as she moved.

Not like Gakupo.

When he was still a human, and struggling with his attraction to men, he would just justify it by telling himself that he recognized beauty, no matter where it lied. The men he... admired, as he used to call it, only fascinated him because they were captivating. Of course, deep down, he knew he was all lying to himself. But as long as he only looked, he wouldn't be sinning.

However, when he looked back to the days where he had been a young man, he couldn't help but think that he must have already been influenced by those penchants. What heterosexual man came up with the idea to cross-dress as a woman to trick his enemy? Well, maybe he would think about that later, but surely his first impulse would be to murder Venomania in his sleep, or maybe to uncovering the duke's secret harem by other means. Yet Kaito had thought this was the most suitable idea for him. 

He could see Venomania waiting for him as if it was yesterday. The duke had been wearing beautiful clothing that matched his hair, and an inviting smile that changed into a smug smirk as Kaito would walk closer. Even as a sinner he had been elegant and refined, the epitome of beauty. No wonder the women loved him.

The duke embraced him. The scent of cinnamon and tobacco filled Kaito's nose as soft hands ran down his back. This caress was in no way appropriate, it was the touch of a lover to his mistress. Kaito told himself that it was not meant for him, yet couldn't help but feel secretly thrilled by it, if only for an instant. Yet he couldn't indulge. He pulled his blade and plunged it in the duke's chest.

Gakupo backed away from him in shock, purple blood soaking the front of his shirt. The poison was supposed to work its sinister magic immediately, yet the duke didn't so much as stagger. He just looked down, then back up at the bloody blade held by the man in disguise, before a slow smirk crossed his features.

When Gakupo didn't fall, but instead reached out and ripped off Kaito's blond wig, the latter realized that he was dreaming. But he didn't think beyond that: suddenly he was embraced, tenderly, as if he was forgiven.

"It's all right," said Gakupo. "Just give yourself to me."

A hand came from the back and grabbed Kaito's blue locks, yanking him. He cried out, and then again when he was shaken like a rag doll with a force he couldn't resist. Next thing he knew he was facing downwards, suspended by the iron grip on his hair. Where was his knife? He didn't have it anymore.

"All that enter my harem," said the duke, "belong to me, and you are no exception. Surrender."

Kaito got on his knees that he might support his own weight, looking for a way out, but he knew that strength, he knew that hold, and he knew that resisting would be futile.

He was kicked on the side, hard enough to stop his breathing, and then he was tossed on the cold marble. He scrambled on all fours to get away from his enemy, wheezing from the hit, but it was futile. All his movements were slowed down, the dream had become a nightmare.

He looked up at the duke and saw that he had changed to his demonic form. He loomed over him, smirking, knowing that he had won. Triumph suited him, thought Kaito, this was a man with a face made to conquer and gloat as his enemy laid in the dirt.

The demon dropped on to him. His hair fell around his face like a halo, his beautiful, angelic face, the least humane part of all his monstrous form. And then he dropped further until his lips were pressed against Kaito's in a kiss.

The blue-haired man felt the influence of the devil's pact on him, the power that had seduced so many women before him. His breathing grew more labored and heat pooled between his legs. He felt the urge to part them so that he could greet the victor between them, but he knew it was all a trap. He resisted. His hands came up to push against Venomania's unmoving chest to tell him to stop. He didn't.

Instead, the hornet bit down on the human's lip. A fang sliced it clean, and it was so sharp that Kaito only felt the pain as he realized that the warm liquid that was slipping down his face and neck was blood. And then he was shoved across the floor, and then there was a pit he almost fell into. He cried out in fear and looked back at his enemy.

Gakupo, on all six, had crawled to him in an instant. He threw a leg over the human's hips and sat down. The heat at Kaito's crotch blazed anew when it was pressed, making him gasp.

"What are you doing?" cried the human. He started to struggle and was quickly held down by a single hand on his chest. "Let me go!"

"Still resisting me?" Gakupo smirked. "I'll make you surrender by force."

"You... stop! I don't want this! I say no to this!"

"That trick won't work here" The demon then leaned in to whisper: "Are you certain that you want to pretend as if you are not attracted to me?"

"I am not! You're a giant bug!"

"Oh." He checked into the inside of his jacket and pulled out something. "Then what about this?"

Down from his palm, hanging from a silk thread, came the spider. She looked as smug as she possibly could. Kaito paled.

"Don't listen to her," he said.

"How long are you going to deny the truth," said Gakupo. "You like men. You like me. And you are starting to like being controlled by me."

"No!"

A hand slammed down on the human's throat, silencing him.

"Then why is a power that I don't even have anymore influencing you in your own dream?" asked the demon.

As a demonstration, Gakupo rocked his hips, rubbing over Kaito's sex. The human couldn't help but moan as blood rushed down. How nice it was to be wearing a dress, that nothing might constrict his half-mast...

"See?" whispered the hornet. "You are so receptive."

"Damn you..."

"You've damned yourself."

Kaito was suddenly yanked from under Gakupo and tossed in the pit.

Yet he didn't even have the time to scream before landing on some sort of net. He looked at what it might be and paled when he realized that it was a giant spider web. He pulled away, but his wrists were bound with silk and held him in place. The web dipped under the weight of another body.

"It's the end of the line, Kaito," said Gakupo as he walked towards him. "Where do you want to hide now? In a closet?" He smirked. "Well, theoretically you could hide in there, but I haven't furnished your room with anything other than a chest."

The demon knelt, bringing himself to his prey's lever. He held Kaito by the chin and tilted his head back; his kiss, once again, was deceptively sweet, even again the split lip. A hand trailed over the side of the human's face, a hand soft like the one of someone that loved him deeply.

"Or maybe that's what you want most," whispered Gakupo against his mouth. "A sign that I love you. I break you, and yet I hold you together. You long for a place where you will be safe. That's why you looked at me in the park, isn't it? You need a savior."

"No... please," begged Kaito without knowing what he was begging for. He was truly lost.

"Mark my word. It will not matter that I can't take you against your will: in the end, you'll come to me to be consumed. I'll shatter you, but all you will wish for is to be reborn as something that will make me mean it when I say, my dear."

Kaito reached up and held Gakupo behind the head to bring him back down against his lips. He awoke in his miserable joke of a bed and could still taste him there, could still hear the soft moan of approval the demon had emitted. He panted heavily. He was hard.

 

When the sunlight slipped through the small window of the attic, Kaito had been awake for a long time. The hours before dusk had been spend twisting and turning around in his bed, trying not to think about his upcoming announcement to agree to the contract, and failing. He just wanted sleep. To be spared his fear and his anguish for but a few hours! Yet he stayed awake, and rest eluded him.

Telling himself that the sooner he would be done with it, the less he would have to think about it, he got up as soon as he started to hear some movement downstairs. He walked to the door only to find it locked - of course it would be after yesterday's escapade - and started to knock on it, calling that he wanted to be left out. 

He heard Gakupo's voice tell something to Anya, two floors down, and soon enough he heard her come to him. She unlocked his room and lead him downstairs when he told her that he wanted to talk to her master, and she replied about how mister had just gotten out of bed but would be fine if he dropped by his room.

Kaito should have taken those last words more seriously, because he was still shocked to walk into the hornet's room and find him with his hair undone and in nothing but a quasi-transparent silk shirt, sitting on the side of his bed looking dazzled. The human gasped, sputtered and hid his eyes in his embarrassment, making both the demons laugh.

"Please, don't pretend as if you're not built the same way, my dear," said Gakupo, standing up. "You're up earlier than usual. What do you want to tell me?"

Anya pushed something on the wall and it opened, revealing a walk-in closet in the wall. He stepped in after her, rummaging through the rows and rows of fine clothes hanging from the racks, sometimes pulling one out just to admire it before putting it back. Kaito tried his best not to notice how the he-demon's hair fell to the lever of his ass but didn't quite cover it.

Anya cleared his throat and he realized that he had been staring, despite his intentions. He looked out the window, looking for the right words to tell what he wanted to tell.

"Well then, I'm waiting," said Gakupo. "Or were you just missing my presence?"

"No," grumbled Kaito. "It's just that I was thinking, lately, about that contract you told me about."

The he-demon paused in his rummaging, long enough for it to be noticeable, before carrying on as if nothing had happened. "What about it?"

"How long would I be required to be your pupil before being considered a demon?"

"Ah, well, that depends on many things, like your willingness to learn and my estimation of how well prepared you are for hell. It usually goes on for three to four years. Of course, particularly untalented students can have it going all the way to ten."

Three years was doable. He was a smart man, or so he thought. Ten years to learn what could be taught in four was probably only applied to people of a poorer upbringing than his. Peasants had all the trouble in the world reading, while he had spent his life doing so.

"Any more questions, my dear?" said Gakupo in an obnoxiously sweet voice.

"Will, uuu," he looked at Anya, at her little round horns and her tail. "Will I change my appearance?"

"Oh, that?" The master of the home pulled out a rather extravagant shirt from the rack, full of buttons and frills, and started to examine it carefully - but Kaito could see his hands shaking in excitement. "That doesn't occur naturally, you would have to go to a flesh crafter for that. They are expensive, but if you are a good boy I might take you to one... that is, of course, if you agree to become a demon at all."

Kaito gulped. There was it.

"I'd like to do that," he said.

Gakupo dropped the shirt he was holding and turned his head to look at the human over his shoulder. "Really?"

"Yeah."

The he-demon whipped around and was on Kaito in a flash. The human cried out when he fell backward and hit the bed. Gakupo was laying over him, grinning, his hand crossed over his future pupil's chest.

"Oh, I am so *glad*," he exclaimed. "I knew you'd finally hear the voice of reason. I am going to have so much fun with you. You can't imagine all the possibilities that this opens up - but you'll figure it all out soon enough."

Kaito was not the least reassured by those words, yet he couldn't find the will to worry too much about them when there was a practically naked demon over him, one that had made him have a wet dream barely hours ago. He should have released himself from that erection instead of waiting it out, he suddenly thought, and maybe he wouldn't be struggling quite as much to stay unaffected.

He looked to the side, out the window, away from Gakupo's intense purple gaze, his face and neck as red as fresh raw meat. "Let's just get this over with."

"Oh, why rush?" The demon traced the side of Kaito's jaw, eliciting small, pleasureful shivers from his human. "It's not every day that you get a teacher. In fact, I was thinking about having you meet a few of my friends for the occasion. None of them know of your existence yet."

"Your... friends?" Kaito wasn't sure he wanted to meet someone that was capable of standing Gakupo's friendship.

"My friends and work colleagues. They will absolutely adore you, I'm sure. You have nothing to worry about from them. You can sign the contract when they are over for dinner... granted that you don't change your mind before then. If you do, however, do warn me, so that I can send you to the pit."

Kaito blinked slowly, before nodding in understanding. The more time passed, the more the pit sounded like a place he didn't want to be.

"Master Venomania," said Anya, "I have selected an outfit for today."

Mercifully, the he-demon pried himself off Kaito, that stood up as soon as he could. He was flustered, breathing heavily, and did his best to hide it from the creatures in the room with him.

"Ah, excellent," said Gakupo as he reviewed the clothes that Anya had diligently picked out for him once his mind had wandered away from the task.

Kaito's heart threw itself into a reckless gallop when the purple-haired man pulled the last bit of his clothing over his head, baring himself for all to see. He was naked, yet he did not lower his head or try to hide from anyone's gaze. The human looked away quite red in the face, shocked with his indecency, yet he couldn't deny the small spark of admiration he had for such boldness.

"May I leave?" asked Kaito.

"Leave?" said Gakupo, looking his way. "Oh, well, if you have nothing else to say, let me just call Arin for you. Arin!" The demon walked to the door, past Kaito, and glanced out in the hallway. "Arin, come here, I need to speak to you."

The butler appeared moments later, seemingly unaffected by the fact that his master was as naked as the day he was born. Apparently, Kaito was the only one that was doing his best not to lay his eyes on Venomania's tempting form.

"Arin," said the latter as he finally put on some pants. "Have the package from Elind and the Ribbons arrived yet?"

"No, master Venomania."

"Really? Then it should arrive today, I think. You two must be of the same size. Can you lend him a change in the meantime? My future pupil can't be walking around the house in a nightgown."

"As you wish, master," said the blond. He turned to Kaito and gestured him to follow him. "This way, then."

Kaito followed the man gratefully, finally being spared the sight of the naked demon - and the constant reminder that he was not indifferent to it, send to him by the spikes of heat that would wash through his abdomen each time he accidentally glanced at him. They moved to the second floor, and the butler leaded him into his room, that was smaller than his master's and more cluttered. Personal belongings stacked on the furniture. Kaito was surprised to see a rapier propped up against the wall, several daggers and a pair of double shot pistols. He would have never guessed that a peaceful butler lived here from the sight of them.

"I see that you have started to listen to my advice, then," said Arin as he opened a closet full of clothes.

"I had already decided before."

"Did you now?" He tossed the human a pair of trousers and a plain white shirt. "Not that it matters at all. I supposed it is my duty to wish you good luck."

Kaito observed the man. He had to admit that the latter was quite puzzling. He couldn't tell if he was hostile towards him or just doing his job because he was always so neutral and distant. He seemed concerned enough about his fate to give him advice, even if said advice didn't come across as kind or understanding.

"You should change," pointed out Arin. "Master Venomania is in a good mood, and he is going to want you at the table for breakfast."

"Oh."

Kaito supposed that he was supposed to change right there, and so he awkwardly turned around and lifted his nightgown out of the way. Mercifully, Arin sat on his bed and looked at the wall.

"I remember when I was in your position," suddenly said the butler.

"You were a human too, once?" asked Kaito, surprised. He had never considered it.

"Yes. Out of the four of us, Anya is the only one that comes from demonic parents. Generally, most demons were once humans, because demon babies are rather hard to conceive. The human body has many disadvantages but it's certainly more fertile than a demon's."

"Oh. What were you as a human?"

"I was a bandit, and one with quite a reputation at that." Arin smiled as if remembering fond memories. "That's what caught the attention of my former teacher when I died. He stepped in and bribed the Judge for my soul. They are quite found of poetic justice over true, righteous justice, I was told. To think that I would be ransomed like I had ransomed hostages during my life was hilarious to them, so they allowed me to become a demon instead of being sent to the pits." He turned to Kaito, that was now entirely clothed. "You were noble, from what I gathered, right?"

"What? How do you know?"

Arin smirked. "Nobles always fit right at home when they become demons. I can tell that you were one, you know, just from that insufferable air you have sometimes when you think that you are being treated in a way that's somewhat beneath your condition."

"I don't have an insufferable air!" cried Kaito, offended.

"And you also hate being called out on it. Typical of a nobleman. I used to despise your kind but now I pity you. It must be hard to live with standards that are impossible to meet."

"What?"

"You sure you want to use this tone when you talk to me?" said Arin. "You are just proving my point."

Kaito was going to open his mouth again to tell him what he truly thought, but then glanced at all the weapons around the room, and noticed how Arin's clothes floated around his leaner frame. Giving him a piece of his mind might not be the best of ideas.

"Good, you are starting to get it," said the blond with a glint in his eyes. "That's always the hardest part for noblemen: realizing that they aren't over anyone here until they prove themselves worthy of it. It was the same for master Venomania."

Kaito's eyes widened. Arin had seen Gakupo being turned into a demon? He suddenly wanted to ask him about it, but the butler must have guessed his train of thoughts as he shook his head.

"Don't ask. I won't tell you about it. I'm not your friend. The sooner you realize that, the better it will be for you," said Arin. "Now let's go downstairs. I think that Gakupo has something to show you."

Kaito wondered what that might be, and if, by any chance, it might be a good thing. He should have known already that in hell there were no good surprises.


	13. The Privileges of a Pupils

Gakupo was already waiting for him at the breakfast table, grinning from ear to ear. It had been a while since he had last sat there to eat, realized Kaito as he took a seat opposite him. Or at least, he had the impression that it had been a while. Last time he had sat at this place, he had been naked.

"I am so glad that you are finally showing yourself to be reasonable, my dear," said Gakupo. He pointed to a dish between them, that the human might notice it. "Look what we got here - almost as if it was foretold that today we would be celebrating."

Kaito looked. Blinked. And had to look away as he gagged. Laid out on a plate was the arm that Gakupo had torn out yesterday, roasted, the claws of its fingers carefully placed one next to each other on the painted porcelain.

Gakupo laughed at his reaction, throwing his head back and hitting his thigh. "Oh, you should see your face, it's priceless."

Kaito glance at the horror again, not quite believing that it was real. Yet it couldn't be an illusion. He recognized it, it was the same limb that the demoness had waved in his face as she told him to stay quiet. The flesh that had once been linked too a shoulder had been trimmed, that it didn't look so ragged and messy as it had been before, the skin had been peeled. It was simply horrifying.

"You got to be kidding me," said the human.

"Demons love meat - any meat." Gakupo, using his fork, started to pick some red little fruits from some other dish. "I've been indulging you those last few days by toning it down a little, but with you wanting to become one of us now, I am going to have to revert to my old diet. I can't have you squirm at an important dinner, can't I?"

Kaito looked at the arm again, then had to look away. "I can't eat someone's meat! It's disgusting."

Gakupo smiled, and this time, a smile that Kaito had not yet seen. It was beyond smug. With the way all his white, sharp teeth showed and the way his lips curled at the edges, it became sinister. It was the smile of someone that had crushed the wings of a bird under their foot. Kaito knew what he was going to say next before he did.

"Oh, my dear..." cooed the demon. "You already have. You've been eating people's meat since you came here."

The human got up so fast his chair fell, and he ran to the kitchen to throw up in the sink. His stomach was empty; bitter acid splattered out of him.

There was the clink of heels on the floor tiles, and then Gakupo patted his back. Kaito remembered how much meat there had always been on the table, how strange it had always been, yet he had shrugged it off and told himself that it was just the way a demon ate in hell, maybe. He should have known that something was up. He felt he had never hated Gakupo more than he had at this moment.

"Don't touch me," he hissed.

Gakupo didn't reply, but his hand circled the back of the human's neck in an iron grip. For a second, Kaito became afraid that he would push him into his vomit or toss him across the room, but nothing happened.

"Be glad that you know, my love," murmured the demon. "Anya is a brilliant cook. She could have easily disguised that arm as something else if I would have asked her to do so. And then what? You would have preferred not to know? Go on devouring your peers forever? Or maybe..."

The demon leaned against the counter next to Kaito and pulled him nearer so that he could whisper in his ear.

"Maybe the reason you are disgusted is that it was delicious."

The human shook his head.

"Oh, don't lie to me. I can see it in your eyes. You hate yourself."

Kaito felt tears rush up and just had the time to cover his face with his hands. He felt so, so repulsed. He had looked forward to those meals. Once, when he had eaten alone in the attic, he had licked his plate to get every bit of sauce and sucked on the bones. Human bones!

"Oh..." said Gakupo. He let go of his neck and pulled him even closer, against his chest. Was it a hug? "Hush. Come back to the table. I'll explain."

Kaito pulled away and wiped at his tears with his sleeves, ashamed that he had cried in front of this monster - again. He checked that he had not stained Arin's shirt before following the demon to his seat. He tried not to look at the arm while he sat.

"Now you know what happens to the damned in the pits," said Gakupo. He did not go back to his spot and instead chose to stand behind his prey.

"Is... all the meat from them?"

"On this table? Yes, apart from the arm. But we eat other things too."

"Like what?"

"You'll learn about them soon enough but I don't want to talk about that now. What I do want to say is that this could have been you."

Kaito looked at each dish in front of him in mild horror. He wondered what those people had done to deserve such a fate.

"Don't make such a face," said the demon. "Why worry about them when you won't be human anymore? Demons are above the condition of the damned. They were chosen by the Seven Lords to serve them and make hell run smoothly. It's the natural order of things that we should eat them."

"But... I am not a demon."

"You'll be one soon."

"But... you just said that it could have been me."

Gakupo chuckled and placed his hands on Kaito's shoulders. The latter tensed, but it was just a massage. The creature's agile fingers felt wonderful as they worked on the knots that had formed in the blue-haired man's muscles.

"Sometimes I think you are simply stupid, but I forget all too easily how it was for me when I was in your position," said the demon. "Do remember that you are lucky to not have been sent to the pits, but don't think of the rest until you learn to find enjoyment in eating others. Satan, just think of it the same way you had to think when you were eating an animal's meat. Soon, you will be so different to them that it will be the same thing."

"Animals don't talk."

For some reason, that made Gakupo laugh. "We'll have to go to the pits as a visit sometime soon. You'll understand it all better when you see it for yourself. In the meantime, are you hungry?"

Kaito was, indeed, hungry, but didn't say it. How could he be hungry for what was in front of him? How could he even think that it smelled delicious?

Luckily, there were also some fruits on the table and some sort of yogurt that reminded him of the one made with a goat's milk. Gakupo laughed when he noticed that he was only eating that and told him that he was cute. For some reason, no matter how fake and insincere it sounded, the compliment made the human blush.

 

***

 

After all, the arm was Gakupo's prize for having torn it off himself, so it was only natural that he would be the one to eat it. Demon flesh had a special taste to it as it was infused with magic, and it was a taste that could become addictive it one didn't want that they didn't consume it too often. He had heard tales of demon went mad for the meat of their kin, driving away every single one of their kind until they had to be put in isolation. Such cases, however, were very rare.

Kaito kept sending him odd looks as he feasted, that Venomania promptly ignored. He didn't care what the human could think of him now. He was, however, thrilled that the other paid so much attention to him, and for reasons he only half-admitted to himself.

Something odd had happened after the humiliating incident of Kaito's rejection. Gakupo, for a while, had been absolutely infuriated with him, to the point where he could barely stand his sight, but now he was suddenly finding himself extremely interested in the human. Not that his future pupil was the most breathtaking creature he had seen - he knew of demons that surpassed him in every regard when it came to appearance - but there was something about him that drew his master's attention and fixated it. And wherever when Gakupo's attention, so did his lust.

His case wasn't helped by the fact that he definitely noticed the effect he had on the human when he stood near him. He would have been blind not to catch the other staring at his ass this morning, or the way he had turned tomato red when he had found himself under him. It had taken all of the demon's will not to tear off his pants and take him right there on his bed, and even now he wondered if that had been the right decision. The former duke wondered why he had never noticed just how kissable the blue-haired man's lips were, how sweet he smelled or how tight his ass looked in those pants. He had gotten an eyeful of the latter when his human had puked in the sink. Once again, it was not the best of rears, he had seen others that would be more universally loved, but at the same time, not hitting it or grinding against it had proved to be quite difficult.

What was happening to his mind? He usually knew better than to desire what he wasn't supposed to touch, but now they were two monsters in there constantly crying out for his attention: the one that wanted to hurt Kaito and the one that wanted to fuck him.

Just what had happened to hating him unconditionally? What had happened to the hours he had spent in the dark, suffering, cursing the man that had sent him to his fate? Wasn't a victim supposed to hate his murderer?

It was all rather peculiar, he thought as he scraped the arm's bones for the last bits of flesh.

He reached out for something else once he had discarded all he wasn't interested in, but found that he was entirely sated, and so was his guest. This could only mean that it was time for the second surprise. He rose.

"Well then, shall we see your new room?" He asked.

This earned him a confused look from Kaito. The demon grinned.

"However, if you prefer the attic," he continued, "I don't mind leaving you there. I can keep it for my guests when I have someone sleeping over."

"Wait, you aren't joking," said Kaito, baffled.

"Maybe I am. Oh, that would be entertaining, to make you believe that you are going to sleep in a real bed tonight, and then tell you that it was all a lie. I'm sure that you would make quite a face."

Kaito seemed unsure about what to say next. He obviously wanted to believe the man, yet it was all too good to be true, and this entire conflict was written on his face for all to see. The demon chuckled. What could he say, something that dunce was cute.

"I am messing with you," said Gakupo as he turned to leave. "Come on."

He heard the other hurry after him once he left the room and had to snicker. Everyone had noticed the dark rings under the human's eyes. He certainly was eager to leave the attic.

"Why am I getting one now?" asked Kaito. "Is it because I agreed to sign?"

"Well would you look at that, it turns out that you can make some logical deductions from a series of events," replied Gakupo in a belittling tone. "You are indeed correct."

"You know what would make it perfect?" sassed the human. "That you stopped calling me an idiot every second sentence."

The demon was a dancer. The best dancers could make any gesture appear effortless and graceful, including turning around and slapping Kaito across the face in one seamless ark. The insolent never saw it coming. Before he could even scream, he was tumbling down a flight of stairs. He landed with a heavy thud on the carpet of the entrance and looked up in absolute disbelief.

"Getting insolent now, my dear?" said the demon. "Remember how privileged you are and think twice before opening your mouth, brat. You live in my house, eat my food and even get to see me naked, something others have to pay for. I call you what I damn want. Understood?"

Kaito nodded then got up slowly. It didn't look like he had collected nothing more than bruises, but he did look spooked by the sudden violence.

And here it was again. That urge to take him in his arms and make it all right. Gakupo had never anticipated growing a conscious when he had taken that cretin in, yet he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for his victim. He blamed it on seeing himself in the lad. He shook his head and went down to get the human himself, grabbing him by the elbow.

"Did you break a bone?" he asked, trying his best to keep his fake smile on - he didn't want Kaito to see yet another of his moments of weakness.

"I don't think so," replied the human.

"Good. Let's go then, my dear, and watch your step this time."

The place that Gakupo had previewed for his future pupil was on the second floor, not that far from Arin's room itself. However, the butler was nowhere in sight. He knew better than to mingle with his master's affairs when the hornet was alone with his human.

Gakupo unlocked a door and pushed it to the side, that Kaito might step in. It was quite small compared to his own, but furnished with a cozy looking bed, a closet and some empty shelves. He could even look out the window, down at the street and the people passing by, and there was a rug on the ground to preserve the heat of his feet.

"How do you like it?" Asked Gakupo from his spot, propped against the doorway.

Kaito examined everything a second time and let himself fall on the bed. he stroked the covers gently, before looking up. He seemed to be looking for his words.

"You can tell me what you really think, you know," said the demon.

"I... well, I think it's the first time that I sleep in such a small room." Kaito looked down at the carpet. "But I like it. It's cozy."

Gakupo had to push his lips together so that he wouldn't break out in a delighted grin. He couldn't help but imagine the human snuggled up under the blankets when he heard him say that it was cozy and it was adorable.

"Is something the matter?" asked Kaito.

"The bathroom is this way," replied Gakupo, pointing in the right direction. "If you can't figure out how to work the tap, ask Arin or Anya. They also sleep on this floor. Feel free to take a shower, but see that you don't use all the hot water, you have only one heater."

Kaito looked at him as if he had just spoken Latin.

"Oh!" Gakupo clasped his hands. "You don't have that in the human world, don't you?"

"No, I never heard of such devices."

"Follow me, then."

They moved to the bathroom, which was a room with a sink, a basin for washing the clothes and a wooden cabin, that was the shower. Gakupo opened it to show the inside.

"So, you step in there and you turn the tap," he said as he pointed to the different parts of the device, "and then hot water pours down on you from the shower head. Though you have to beware." He tapped on the boiler, a great brass container that hung from the ceiling. "The amount of hot water you have is limited so don't stay in there for hours. I won't stand between Arin and you if he finds it empty. It slowly warms up over time though."

Kaito looked at everything with wide eyes. "How does it work?"

"Here, we use magic for the moment. There are other ways of course, but for now, they are limited to those that are willing to pay for them to be installed, when magic just works fine for us at the moment."

"Magic?"

Gakupo nodded. "To call it simply. Of course, magic is complicated and explaining everything about it would take years of training."

"Can you use magic?"

"Me?" Gakupo combed through his hair with a hand. "Of course I can. I've used it in front of you before. Think of every time I transformed, or how I had the strength to tear off an arm. Those aren't things that happen on their own."

"Oh." Kaito didn't seem to like being reminded of either of those things but didn't comment further.

"Well then. I hope you enjoy your new pupil room, my dear," said Gakupo. "I am going to leave soon, I have some things to do in town, so I'll leave you alone with Anya. But I'll promise that as soon as the contract will be I'll take you to visit Allacard."

Kaito looked at him suspiciously but didn't speak his mind on the subject. He probably thought that Gakupo's sudden kindness was odd - not that the demon cared.

The human didn't even seem to realize that it was all a trap slowly closing on him. Indeed, he was truly an idiot.


	14. Steal a Glance and Pay the Price

The bed was indeed comfortable, and Kaito couldn't tell what the mattress was made of, but it certainly wasn't full of feathers like he was used to. After the bad surprise of the breakfast, he wondered if he wanted to know. He was content enough to lay on it to read and nap through the day, grateful for the upgrade.

The only one that disturbed him was Anya, that woke him up for lunch in the kitchen. He asked her about her cooking, where did the meat come from, but she answered that she had been forbidden by Gakupo to talk about it. Kaito didn't dare ask anything else after that and consumed his portion in silence as she walked around the first floor, seemingly cleaning.

Arin and Gakupo being out, he used the time he had after his meal to explore the rooms he had not seen before. He tried to sneak to the first floor but was caught by the housemaid, that told him that if he went in there mister would smell him on his stuff and would know. This terrified him, so he kept his adventures limited to the first floor; there was enough to see there already.

He had seen most of the rooms already, save for one. He had no memory of seeing its door open but it was unlocked when he checked it. It was quite vast and entirely dark, yet it didn't smell like it was unused. There were curtains in front of the window and many richly ornate couches and pillows, as well as what appeared to be a small stage with a pole. He looked around, unable to figure out what the room was for until he made the connection with Gakupo's job was made. This was the place where he received clients.

His first thought was to leave the place behind in disgust. He still wasn't comfortable with the thought that Gakupo slept with other men even after having seen it for himself. Yet he stayed. It was like staring at a train wreck, he simply couldn't tear his eyes away.

He stepped on the small stage. There was a wooden pole there, and he wondered what it was for. When he grabbed it and shook it, it didn't budge, as it seemed to be secured in the ceiling and in the ground itself. If that stage was used for some sort of seduction dance, wouldn't this get in the way? How strange. He stepped away.

There was some sort of machine there as well, that he discovered behind the curtains. It was a box with a big brass flower on top of it, he didn't know any other way how to describe it, and next to it was a pile of cardboard envelops with large back disks inside.

"Don't touch those, they are fragile," said Anya.

Surprised, he almost dropped the one he had been holding. She chuckled.

"Those are music records. Want to hear?" she asked.

"Music?" He repeated. "How?"

"Yeah. Let me..."

She approached him and grabbed one, putting in on top of the box, before delicately placing a needle over it. She then did something that seemed like she was using magic: she placed her hand on the side of the box and breathed in deeply, the disk started to turn, and music came out of the flower!

Startled, Kaito took a couple of steps back, looking at the machine as if it was about to pounce on him. This made the demoness laugh.

"You've never head about a gramophone?" she said. "You must have been quite poor as a human."

"That's what it is?" Asked Kaito, squinting at the devilry suspiciously. "I was rich, but I never saw something like that."

"Oh, it's one of those things that don't exist yet in your world, isn't it?" She nodded in understanding. "I didn't know. How come were you rich?"

He blinked a couple of time as her as she stopped the machine and put the disk back in its protective envelope. He didn't understand why she would ask him that.

"Did you steal mister Venomania's wealth or something?" she asked. "I always thought you were some marauder or bandit that had killed him. Murderers are usually poor, from what I can tell when I meet them in Hell."

"He never told you about how he died?" Kaito frowned. It made sense that he wouldn't. He was probably ashamed of his crimes, assumed the human. "He was a woman's thief, he gathered them all in his basement and he had sex with them. I killed him because he had taken the woman I loved."

She rose a brow. "I know that and I don't really care, you know, so don't try and make me dislike him because I won't. You're not answering my question. Did you steal from him or didn't you?"

"I wouldn't!" protected Kaito. "I was rich before. I was of the nobility."

"Oh, all right. So you killed him for a woman huh?" She seemed to think about something for a bit. "Did she love you back, at least?"

Kaito opened his mouth to answer that she did before he recalled that she left him one day without so much of a warning with his children, and never came back. "When you are a human noble, love doesn't matter. It's about continuing the line."

She looked at him, her green eyes piercing through him, before snorting at him in disdain. "So it was all about owning her. What a sad reason to go to hell."

"I'd rather have that than being sent to hell because I made a pact with the devil and enchanted women to do my bidding."

She chortled. "Maybe that would make sense for a human to say that but, for a demon, it's far more interesting to have a story like mister Venomania's than yours. No matter how good you used to be when you were a human, people will forget you eventually. And then what's left? The assurance that you have done the better thing? In the eyes of who? It's over you know, you've been judged and found guilty of murder. At least my master has a fantastic story to tell at dinners."

"But it does matter! I did... I am more in the right. I only killed one man."

"Gakupo didn't kill anyone." She turned around and started to walk to the door, but paused as she was going to pass it just to look back at him. "Let me give you some piece of advice out of the goodness of my heart, human. You need to stop thinking in terms of right or wrong. That only mattered when you were among humans because it's humans that came up with this system in the first place."

"That's ridiculous. Humans didn't invent heaven and hell. That proves that the notions of right and wrong matter."

"Oh yeah?" She turned to him fully, smirking like someone that knew they were in the right. "Then explain to me why there isn't a heaven and a hell for dogs?"

Kaito frowned and opened his mouth, but found no explanation.

"In the beginning, God told us angels and demons to listen to you guys and do as you wished. You wanted those that wronged you to be punished, you dreamed of continuing as you were after your death, so we made it so for you. But we don't actually care about what you think is right and wrong. We are demons, we follow our impulses and decide what is fair according to what pleases us. We admire those that put on a great show and those that are stronger than us. We adore them! And we despise goody-two-shoes that think they are better than us, when in fact we all share the same longings. People like you make me sick, Kaito. It's the last time I will tolerate you telling me that you are better than mister Venomania. Understood?"

He didn't know what to say, so he simply nodded.

"Good," she continued. "You can keep looking through this room, by the way. Just don't break anything."

She left him there without expecting an answer.

 

 

When Gakupo came back, it was late in the afternoon. Kaito had drifted to sleep on his new bed but was awoken with a start when his tormentor's voice reached his dreams, only to realize that he wasn't even on the same floor as him.

He listened to the voices of the demons downstairs. Gakupo spoke the loudest, of course, crying out orders from his room to Anya or Arin, and sometimes Kaito could hear the muffled replies of the servants. The words, in his half-sleeping state, were jumbled and made no sense. He realized only after a while that they were all speaking Latin.

Not wanting to spend the entire day in bed, he stood up and tried to recall where was the point he left off in his book before he remembered that he had finished it - that was why he had allowed himself a nap in the first place. He smelled of sweat, so he went to the bathroom and managed to figure out how to make this shower machine work. He quickly understood why Arin would be upset if there was no more hot water for him: it was delightful.

He dried himself with a soft doe leather hide, that had been given to him after Arin had washed him, and got dressed again. He was done with all the human books now, and all that was left for him to read were the one that spoke of the demon world. He felt sad about it, as if he was shredding another shimmer of his old life. But he had nothing else to do.

He was surprised by Gakupo as he was going down the stairs.

They both stopped in their tracks and looked at each other, and Kaito couldn't help but stare at the courtesan.

He was breathtaking. His long hair was tied back in an intricate braid, his chest bare save for the array of gold necklaces that hung from the alabaster column of his neck, his face painted with brilliant colors. He also had gold bracelets on his arms and ankles, that clinked with each of his gracious movements. He wore pants that were tight at the crotch but loose around the calves. He looked like a harem flower straight out of an oriental painting, if there had been such things as male concubines for sultans.

Of course, Kaito's gawking certainly didn't slide pass Gakupo, that smirked and posed. "You like my outfit?" he asked, before turning around. His pants clung tightly to his backside and he hit it lightly as a taunt. "Of course you do. Sadly it's not for you."

Kaito turned bright red and ran away, chased down the stairs by Gakupo's laugh. He hid in the living room, on the couch, and waited for his heart to calm down. He was so stupid! He should have ignored the brute and walked past him!

Right when the danger of popping an erection seemed to have dissipated, there was a ring at the door.

"It's lord Araden, I'll get it!" cried Gakupo from upstairs. Kaito listened to the sound of the demon's bare feet as he rushed down the stairs and through the hallway without noticing him. The front door was opened - he even heard the distant rumor of the street at night. There was some talking in Latin.

Kaito laid down and listened to the distant conversation. He had no idea what was being said, but he could still pay attention to the tone of his tormentor's voice, how it mellowed out and danced enticingly. The accents of the unknown language made him even more exotic and alluring. Kaito could close his eyes and see him say those words, the image of him etched on his retina. No wonder he was so rich from sleeping with people, he was good at his job.

They moved through the hallway. There was the wet sound of kissing and heavy panting, then Gakupo said something in a teasing tone before they entered the room Kaito had visited earlier and their voices became muffled. Music from the strange machine came on.

Kaito sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was going insane. There was no other way he could explain how he was attracted to a man that despised him, controlled him and toyed with him. A nasty little voice whispered to him about indulging himself but he chased the Spider back to the darkest corner of his mind.

Anya found him there and brought him back to the kitchen to feed him, before telling him that she had some washing to do and left him there. Arin was nowhere in sight. The music waffled from the room, along with other sounds of passion, and Kaito had nothing to distract himself from it.

He should have known not to listen to his impulses after the last incident with the coat. Yet, when he saw that the door to the room was not entirely closed, that thin ray of light that cut through the dark hallway like a knife, he didn't think. He crept closer to look. He wasn't deceived.

One one of the couches, glorious in the light of the magical crystals on the ceiling, was Gakupo and his client, a demon with black skin and large bat wings. Kaito's tormentor was on top, bare, in his fully demonic form, each thrust into his partner contracting the insect skin of his stomach around his abdominals. His hair was undone and dancing rhythmically with each plunge. Two of his hands held his captive's legs up, one his hips and the last was stroking his stomach.

Kaito blinked. The client's belly was full, but that wasn't grease for the rest of his figure was slender. The curve of his sex laid against it. Yet it seemed to be giving him great pleasure when he looked down at it, his toes curled and his tail twisted against Gakupo's abdomen, urging him on.

Kaito couldn't tear himself away. He saw Gakupo throw his head back and cry out with a smile on his face and a dangerous wave of heat assaulted his crotch. The spy reached down and adjusted his pants around his growing erection, vaguely aware that this arousal was supposed to be wrong and unable to bring himself to care.

Arin cleared his throat.

Kaito jumped so violently it was a miracle he didn't cry out. The butler stood on the stairs, his rapier at his hip, one brow raised, his hand in front of his mouth as in contemplation. Shame flooded Kaito as he quickly stepped back and looked at the ground. Cries and moans came from the room as the client kept being deeply serviced.

Arin, seeing that the human wasn't going to move, came down to him, grabbed his arm and pulled him away. They ascended into the house in silence. Kaito wanted to tell that there was a misunderstanding, that he wasn't really looking into the room at them having sex, but came with no excuse that was good enough. He didn't even know why he had done it himself - or rather, he didn't want to admit it to himself.

The butler pushed him in his room and closed the door behind them.

"You are not to disturb the master as he is working," he said in a stern voice. "You already got your human smell all over the room this morning and Anya had to clean after you, don't you think you've caused him enough trouble like that?"

"Please don't tell him that you saw me," said Kaito.

Arin rose both of his brows and looked at him down his nose. "You've got guts to ask that from me, Kaito Shion. However, even if I did obey you, he already knows you lust after him."

"I don't like men," blurted Kaito as a reflex.

Unlike Gakupo, he saw Arin coming. He simply didn't have the fraction of the strength needed to stop him. The demon pressed him against his closet, chest against chest, a hand squeezing the hard, straining member of the human through his clothes.

"Say that again?" said Arin in his ear.

Kaito croaked and looked ahead. He was so deeply ashamed of how aroused the entire situation made him.

"I am so, so tempted to prove you wrong," said the demon. "You and your noble's way of walking around like you're so much better than anyone else... I'd make you my bitch. You don't deserve anything better than being a cum sock, you little brat." His hand slowly drew away from the needy cock, stroking up Kaito's torso. "The only thing holding me back right now is that mister Venomania would be livid if he found out I took your virginity before he could."

Arin stepped away and Kaito's legs gave out from under him. He fell on his knees and looked up to the butler. He wanted... needed something. His sex pulsed against the material of his pants with each beat of his heart. Arin's eyes were dark and full of lust when he looked down at him.

"Fuck you, Kaito Shion," he hissed. He whipped around and slammed the door behind him.

The abandoned human felt too hot between his legs and too cold everywhere else. His hands were shaking. For a second, he wished for someone to scoop him in their arms and tell him everything was going to be all right. He realized that he wanted them to be Gakupo and cursed himself under his breath. He hated them all, all the demons in hell, all the people that would know of him and do nothing to save him, but most of all he hated himself.


	15. Good Boys

Gakupo knew that this day was going to be a great day from the moment he emerged from the depth of sleep to Anya softly kissing his shoulder. There was no better way to wake up than this one. He hummed in content, making her giggle and kiss him again before she withdrew and went to open the curtains.

As he chased away the remnants of his night, he mentally grappled at the planning of the day. Dinner with the Bees tonight. Signing the contract with Kaito. Ah, he knew that today would be great. he kicked off the covers and undressed entirely to pick his clothes.

He paused. "Is there something you want to tell me, Arin?" he asked.

His butler slowly entered the room and carefully closed the door behind him. That was odd. Usually, the man never hesitated, unless he was coming to Gakupo to confess something he did. The master turned around to get a better look at him and, of course, Arin was unable to hold his gaze.

"So?" asked Gakupo. "I'm waiting."

"How did it go last night, master Venomania?" asked Arin.

"Well. Lord Araden was very pleased with the oriental theme I prepared for him and he left me a hefty tip. He considered sleeping over, but he had important business to attend to today and couldn't afford to stay." Gakupo was aware that the question was a diversion, but he knew better than to press his servant when his conscience was tormenting him.

"That's good. He wasn't the only one that was pleased with it." Arin smiled.

"Oh? Pray tell?"

"I caught Kaito spying on you. With a hard-on."

A surge of joy coursed through Gakupo and he clasped his hands together. "Really?"

"I'm certain of it."

Oh, that was the most delightful news, he felt like a teenage that figured out that his crush liked him back. He had been so scared that someone, anyone, might be able to resist him, and this was just another proof that Kaito wouldn't be the one capable of resisting him. Gakupo was winning whatever was that game they were playing.

"What did he see? What was I doing that excited him?" asked the hornet. "I must know."

"I didn't dare check, master Venomania, but I think that it was towards the end. Kaito had a clear view on you mounting lord Araden, and he was so enraptured that he didn't hear me coming until it was too late."

"So we were on that couch..." Gakupo grinned. He knew exactly when that had been and what they had been doing. No wonder he had not noticed anything: when he came in his demonic form, the pleasure was such that he became entirely blind to everything around him save his partner. "Really? How interesting..."

Kaito, a dirty little voyeur. Gakupo couldn't wait to use that information against him. Should he make the humiliation greater by bringing up in front of their guests tonight? No, he wanted the sight to belong to him alone. It would have to be during breakfast then, or maybe even before...

Gakupo grinned as a plan formed in his mind.

Arin cleared his throat, interrupting his thoughts. "There is something else I wanted to say," he announced.

"Go on." This was the parts where the less pleasant news came, guessed Gakupo. He was already bracing himself for the worth.

"I..." he cleared his throat. "I brought him back to his room, and he was still aroused, so I... Forgive me, master, but I couldn't resist teasing him."

"Tease him?" Gakupo's face hardened, making the butler back away against the door.

"I only groped him and told him that I wanted to fuck him, nothing more! Please, I didn't know what I was thinking, but he asked me to not tell you as if he had any authority over me, and he's always so arrogant--"

He quieted when Gakupo rose a single finger. The master hesitated, glanced at Anya, that was standing in the corner doing her best to make herself forgotten, before approaching his butler. The blond was quivering.

"What did you tell him?" asked Gakupo.

"That he didn't deserve what he had. That he was better off being nothing but a bitch. Please, I backed away when it became too much."

"You knew that he was mine."

"And I did tell him that!"

"But you didn't act it." Gakupo came very close to his servant, close enough that they might kiss. "There will be consequences for your actions."

He opened his mouth to protest, paused, before lowering his gaze and submitting. "I understand."

"Good." Gakupo stroked the side of his face. "However, I was to know how he reacted to you. Describe it to me."

Arin hesitated before continuing. "He was absolutely breathless. When I let him go, he fell to his knees and looked at me. I could have done anything I wanted to him and he would have begged me to do it."

Gakupo could imagine that. The astonished look on Kaito's face, the lust, the heat. He was jealous of his butler, that he got to see it all before him, but at the same time he couldn't fathom the will it must have needed for Arin to tear himself away.

"And you've walked away from that?"

"I've locked myself in my room."

"Oh." That pleased the master. "You did so well. I'm proud. But I would have been prouder if you had not done anything to what is mine."

Arin looked down and nodded slowly.

"I could ask for the hand that touched him," continued Gakupo, "but you are going to need it. Instead, I'm just going to ask for your tongue."

Arin rose his hand to his lips but nodded again. "Lex Infernum."

"Good boy."

Gakupo leaned in and kissed him. His servant opened his mouth for him... Blood overflowed and Gakupo pulled back, wiping his mouth. Delicious.

"Now that this is said and done," said the master, "I don't want you to think that honesty goes unrewarded in my household. Tonight, once I dismissed you, you are free to go and pick up any little replacement for Kaito that might suit your fancy. I will pay for them. I've heard that the Bellemont brothel has two beautiful blue-haired twins."

Arin's face lit up in delight. He bowed his head as a thank you. Gakupo chuckled. This is why he liked Arin in his role: he was so obedient and he couldn't keep a lie from his superior. He was a gem.

"You got blood on your lips," said Anya, pulling a tissue. She wiped her master delicately.

"Today is going to be a great day," he told her. She laughed and nodded.

 

When Gakupo lowered the door handle and found that it was locked, he had to take a moment to restrain his laughter, leaning against the door of the hallway with a hand over his mouth. By Lucifer's wings, this was precious. Kaito had locked himself in. He honestly thought that Gakupo would give him a room where he could be safe from him.

When he had stifled his hilarity, he hovered his hand over the lock and it opened with a click, giving him access to the sleeping human.

He paused in the doorway to look at his prey. Kaito was sleeping soundly, snuggled up to his chin in the covers, unsuspecting and almost innocent-looking. No one would suspect that he was a murderer. Gakupo tried to remember how he used to be repulsed by the mere sight of him and the delight he felt from tormenting him, but it just felt forced when the other looked like that.

Time to wake him. Gakupo could feel himself grow soft the longer he looked at him.

He crossed the room and sat on the edge of Kaito's bed, stroking him over the covers. "Waky shaky, sleepy head," he cooed.

Kaito turned in his sleep, mumbling something. He was dreaming. How cute. Gakupo leaned in and changed into his demonic form, his clothes molding themselves around his form to accommodate his new size. He hovered over the other's face and poked him on the cheek with an antenna.

"That's delicious, yes," mumbled Kaito.

Gakupo chortled. This trip to his room was so worth it. He leaned in, licked the shell of Kaito's ear and pulled on his blanket. Oh, what a surprise, he wore a nightgown that left his shoulder uncovered. The demon nipped the pale soft flesh.

"What the--" gasped Kaito.

"Delicious yourself," replied Gakupo, licking his lips.

His catch blinked a few times, confused, before deja-vu struck. He gasped, backed away, and pulled his clothes close in case his tormentor was here to tear them.

"Oh so now you act scared," said Gakupo as he tried his best to sound offended - and failed. "From what I heard, you weren't so shy last night."

"Last..." Kaito's eyes widened as he turned red. His entire body tensed. It was laughable when he tried to bluff his way out: "What do you mean, last night? What happened?"

Gakupo didn't reply right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Kaito's scent, cold and sweet, hit him, along with many other different perfumes from the sheets. "I smell sweat and cum. I give you this room for one night and you are already touching yourself in this bed, you liar."

When he opened his eyes, Kaito had turned so pale he looked like he was about to faint. "You can smell that?"

Gakupo rose a brow. "It's *literally* my job to do so. Now, I'm really interested in what got you so excited. You wouldn't happen to have seen, I don't know, something you weren't supposed to?"

Kaito shook his head.

"Now that's not what Arin told me. Be careful now, you know what happened last time you tried to lie to me."

Kaito glanced sideways before slowly nodded. He did remember, yet he didn't dare reply.

"Yesterday," continued Gakupo, "you looked at me while I was taking care of a client, right or wrong?"

The human nodded again.

"Right or wrong?" Repeated the demon as he pressed a finger to his prey's mouth. "Open those pretty lips of yours, you sneaky lil' thing."

"Right."

"Good boy. Now, I am interested in knowing how much you saw. And don't you give me the silent treatment this time or I'll force the words out of your mouth."

Kaito because so red it spread down his neck and exposed shoulders. "Well, you were having... sex."

"T-t-t, you know what I want to hear. I was in my demon form, was I not?"

"Yes..." He paused, hesitated and licked his lips. "About that... the other demon's stomach.." He looked away. Gakupo could hear him struggle not to make his panting breath noticeable. "It was... full."

Gakupo smirked. He knew it. Aramen had an exhibitionist kink, when he came over he always asked for the door to remain open so that he could imagine that there was someone listening to them from the hallway during the most depraved of his sessions. It looked like he had his wish granted this time.

"Do you want to know what we were doing, my dear?" whispered the demon as he leaned in close. "Remember our conversation the other day, where we talked about my niche and what people came for when they come to me?"

Kaito was excited now, there was no denying it. His lips were parted and his breath came out in short bursts, his pupils were wide with lust. Gakupo felt temptation take a hold on him. Kissing him now went against all his plans, but gathering the resolve not to do so was a small miracle on its own. He cleared his throat.

"Well, I am going to be extremely generous with you and give you the answer," continued Gakupo. "My niche is for people that liked to be dominated. I force them into the bed; they can't resist me, and then I claim their insides entirely by filling them up with my eggs until they are unable to move anymore... powerful demons come to me and pay me a lot of money for that."

Kaito gasped. "Eggs?"

"Exactly." Gakupo was but a breath away from his prey, so he leaned back to sit straight on the bed. "You want it to?"

Kaito grew very pale. "Never. That's... repulsive. Who would want eggs in there? Doesn't it hurt?"

"It's not about the eggs, it's about the powerlessness. But it's not like that's on the table for you anyway." Gakupo stood up. He had already gotten what he wanted. "This pleasure is among the most refined you can get here, only the richest can afford my personal attention. To even think that I would offer something like that to you is laughable. Now, if you'll excuse me, last night took a toll on me and need to keep eating to replenish myself. I'll be leaving."

He took one last look at his future pupil, just to savor his victory. The man was half seated in his bed, confusion and arousal written all over his face, unaware of how obvious he was. He had him. His murderer was at his mercy, and now Gakupo could make him dance as he wished. He wasn't going to deny himself this pleasure.

 

_My dear pupil,_

_It is with great regret that I must inform you that I have other things to do_ tonight _and that I will not be coming to your dinner. I am sure that you will have a lot of fun with your little friends from Eden street._

_Sincerely, M._

He should have known that she was going to do that. He should have known that she wouldn't even consider his invitation. He didn't know why he had thought about sending her a word about it in the first place. And her tone! Gakupo read the small word again. He could almost hear it, the cold disdain, the underlying mocking tones when she spoke of his friends, the way she _informed_ him of her very important and interesting life.

She hurt him a million time in the same way, and yet it still burned every time. He hated that after all those years he still longed for her acceptance like a love-struck food. Even Kaito fell for him, and she was the last one that would always look at him disapprovingly when he owned her everything.

He tore the paper in small pieces and threw it in the fire. This only provided half of the satisfaction he would have wanted to get from it. Luckily the food was delicious and Anya was an angle for making enough to feed five people. He loved her when she put this much care in taking care of him. The only thing missing was Kaito's presence. Teasing him some more would have proven entertaining. Alas, he had not gathered the courage to make it out of his room, where Gakupo had left him.

But the master was not meant to remain bored for long, for there was a ring at the door. Arin went to open it and wordlessly directed the visitor to the eating room.

Karl, looking as lovely and inviting as ever, gave Gakupo his widest, whitest smile. The butterfly demon was carrying a package with _Elind and the Ribbons_ written on it.

"Oh, Kaito's outfits are finally finished," cried the purple-haired man in delight. "Just in time!"

"My brother absolutely wanted to have all of them delivered at once," said Karl, beaming as if he had done the work himself. "He stayed up all night to make sure that the final outfit was perfect. He guarantees that it will bring you great satisfaction."

"Kaito will have to try it on." Gakupo turned to Arin, that was standing quietly at the room's entrance, waiting for further instructions. "Go get him now, he must come."

The butler nodded and exited.

"Is something the matter with him?" asked Karl the moment the other was out of the room. "He seems moody."

"Don't mind him." Gakupo looked at the butterfly, and suddenly a delightful idea struck him. "Do you have a little time to spare for a poor, neglected demon like me?"

Karl laughed behind his hand. "What are you up to this time?"

"Just playing a little game. I want you to stay here with me while he tries on the clothes."

"I am going to stay anyway, I have to, in case--"

Gakupo interrupted him by reeling him in and making him sit on his lap.

"Oh," said Karl. "This sounds a fun game. I guess that I can play a bit before I have to return to the shop."

"Good boy," said Gakupo. He loved when things went according to his plan.

Kaito was introduced moments later, pulled by the collar of his nightgown by a brooding Arin. The human stood awkwardly when he was released, looking around - anywhere but as Gakupo and his newly appointed lap-toy.

"Kaito, Karl here just brought you your new clothes," said the master with a smirk. "We need to make sure that everything is perfect for tonight's dinner. Try it on, my dear."

Karl took this as his cue to open the package and pull out an expensive ensemble out. It was sober in colors, with its dark blues and gentle whites, but the cloth was of high quality.

"Wait, right here?" Said Kaito, uncertain. "Now?"

Arin, sensing that he might try to escape, placed himself in front of the door. Gakupo smiled. Kaito gulped, and obeyed, undressing quickly. As he did so, Karl leaned back against the purple-haired demon, so that by the time the human was advancing himself to take his new outfit he was taking it from the lap of a man kissing his nemesis - and said nemesis humming in pleasure.

Gakupo felt a surge of satisfaction when he caught Kaito's eyes lingering longer than needed on the scene. Himself was enjoying the view of the naked human trying his best to put on the clothes as fast as possible while avoiding exposing too much skin. It was sort of cute in its pointlessness.

Luckily for Kaito, the outfit suited him perfectly and even accentuated the natural features of his body. Gakupo's brow rose at the sight. Elind was extremely talented for creating clothes that displayed one's best assets and he had to admit that it worked on the human too.

"Perfect," said Karl, that had been playing with the buttons of the hornet's shirt. The butterfly stood up and placed the package on a free spot on the table. "I think that I am no longer needed here. If you'll excuse me..."

Gakupo rose after him. "Arin, bring him to the door."

He was obeyed, so he found himself alone with his future pupil. He couldn't resist approaching him. It was too bad that he had decided that Kaito was off-limits, he almost looked eatable all dressed up like that.

"Why don't you take Karl's spot to have a bite?" said the demon. "He was just warming your seat."

Kaito shot him a murderous glance and was lucky that Gakupo thought that it was endearing. "I'm not hungry," he snapped, before storming off.

It was with great satisfaction that Gakupo sat back down and had the rest of his breakfast. Today was indeed a great day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today's chapter got an illustration to go with it! I will be drawing more for this fanfic, and some of you might have already noticed the other "blooper" that's been updated on an earlier chapter. Eventually, I'll get around to draw Gakupo, Kaito and the others as I imagine them in this AU. If you are interested in seeing more of my art, do feel free to drop by my Twitter @LyroaArt or my Deviantart Lyroa.


	16. The Spectacle

Gakupo had told him to stay out of sight as he let the others in, and for some reason that made him even more nervous than what he already was. He told himself he shouldn't: it was only the demon's friends and he hated that he cared so much.

Something was wrong with his head. It was absolutely repulsive. He kept telling himself that he shouldn't care, that the very way Gakupo behaved was against the morals he had been told to follow his entire life. He was a whore and he *actually enjoyed sex*, a scoundrel that slept with every woman and man that pleased him and ate the ones that didn't, a disgrace and a monster. He had declared multiple times that he was out to enact his revenge on Kaito.

And yet.

Kaito told himself that the only reason he wanted the demon to appreciate him so much was that he hated him. How nice it felt, to be acknowledged by someone that had no reason to like him. He, of course, willfully ignored the desires that went beyond that. Those were not concerns he was equipped to deal with.

So he was standing there, in the stairs, waiting for a signal from Anya. He was reassured that she would be the one that came to call him. Arin had not said a word all day and kept sending him strange looks. Kaito didn't want to think about what had transpired between them last night. Being reminded of it by Gakupo from the moment he was awake was mortifying enough.

The green-haired demoness came to fetch him, giving him a slow nod from her spot at the entrance of the living room. There were voices since the guests had arrived, and most of them were high-pitched and female. He would be standing in front of them, they would look at him.

He thought that he would be coming in right away, but that was without taking Gakupo's taste for grandeur into account. Anya signaled him to stop a few feet away from him, and he did.

There was a clear bell, like a teaspoon tapping against a crystal glass, and the room grew silent.

"Everyone," said Gakupo's voice. "everyone, I just wanted to say that I wanted to thank everyone for coming. It's lovely of you all, really. As you might guess, I've gathered you all to make a very special announcement, and to celebrate it all."

What was Kaito even doing here? At what point did he agree to play a part in this twisted puppet show?

"I've come in a time in my life where I have acquired a modest but stable financial situation..."

There were a few laughs.

"Oh hush," he continued. "You are going to make me lose my train of thoughts. As I was saying, I have decided to take in a poor soul that would have been sent to the pits, and see if I am any good at making demons. Kaito, you can come forth now."

Kaito, standing in the dark of the hallway, clasped his hands over his chest defensively and breathed in deeply. He didn't want to to do it; he found himself glued in place. Anya gave him big eyes but he shook his head.

There was a silence, then the sound of Gakupo's heels as he moved to the door and looked through, peering over Anya's shoulder. "What is the matter?"

Kaito looked at him and probably looked terrified. A flash of annoyance passed on the demon's face before he turned around, all smiled, to the room.

"He's shy."

There was another round of laughs from the invisible audience. Kaito started to slink further away in the shadows, drawing Gakupo's attention back to him. His captor whipped a hand in his direction, trying to drag him back, but missed him.

"My dear, dear pupil," purred Gakupo, "now, you don't want to make a fool of yourself, don't you?"

Kaito turned heels and ran. His room could be locked, and then maybe he could block the door--

"Kaito!" cried Gakupo. "Kaito come back here!"

Alas, the human was not fast enough to escape. He was caught before he could even reach the stairs. He was yanked back so harshly that a wave of pain coursed through his shoulder. He found himself facing Gakupo once more, that was doing nothing to hide his anger.

"You little..." he hissed.

But he didn't strike. Instead, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply and relaxed his grip on his arm - without letting go of him. And then he smiled - the fake smile, of course.

"I mean, who wouldn't be scared of meeting a bunch of demons that might hate you as much as I do?" said Gakupo. "Better look good my dear, hmm?"

He checked Kaito's state one last time, straightened the flaps of his shirt and dusted some invisible dirt off him.

"But do you really hate me?" asked Kaito before he could stop himself.

He did not expect Gakupo's reaction. His scleras turned black and he rose a hand, making his prey recoil with the fear of being slapped.

"It would be truly regrettable if you would bear a mark on your face for your big night, my dear. Now, watch that naughty mouth of yours, stay close to me, and behave, or you are spending the night in the attic."

Kaito bit his lip and looked at the ground, but deep down he had something to hold on to. Three years and he would be a demon too. And then... we shall see what we shall see. In the meantime, all he could do was keep count.

Gakupo grabbed his shoulder and made him walk in front of him. Kaito breathed in, trying to find in himself the strength to go through this, but by the time he stepped into the light of the dining room he was far from feeling confident.

The guests all clapped, most of them with an amused smile on their beautiful faces. They were all women, Kaito noticed, save for one young blond man. He looked over their faces quickly, registering nothing, then down at his feet.

"Everyone, meet Kaito. Kaito, those are my friends and work colleges. It's a small signing party, I didn't want it to be a big fuss--"

"Wait a second," suddenly cried a demoness.

She gripped her dress with both hands and took a step forth. She had not been clapping before, and now she looked furious. Kaito noticed almost right away the striking resemblance she bore with the young man that was present and guessed that they were somewhat related.

"What about my brother?" she cried. "So now you got yourself a little pet to toy with, and you are just going to forget about him? Knowing you, in six months he'll be dancing and singing with us when you promised--"

"Rin," begged the man, "please calm down, it's fine--"

"It is not, and this man is a liar!" She pointed her finger at Gakupo, that only seemed to be extremely amused by her accusations. She suddenly spread open her bat-like wings, that were white and almost translucent. "A crook and a bastard!"

"Rin," suddenly spoke another woman. "Quiet. You are an embarrassment to us all. Don't you see?"

The new speaker was also the tallest of the guests. She had fives eyes, pink hair and menacing spikes on her shoulders and back. When she walked, her long scaly tail swayed along her hips. She was quite the contrast with the one called Rin, her tone quiet yet confident.

"Kaito Shion is the name of the man that killed Gakupo," she said. "He told us this story a thousand times and you still managed to forget."

Rin seemed taken aback by the intervention. She looked at the pink-haired demoness, then at Kaito, then at Gakupo, that was quietly chuckling while hiding his mouth with his hand. Her wings slowly flopped down until they laid on the ground.

"That's what I was trying to say," said Len.

This fired her back up. "Well, then you better not forget your promise anyway!" She cried.

"About a private lesson?" Answered Gakupo.

"No!" Cried Len, unfurling his own white wings. "No private lesson!"

Gakupo laughed, followed by the others. Kaito almost felt himself relax when a heavy hand fell on his shoulder.

"My name is Luka," said the demoness with the five eyes. "Nice to meet you, even if I feel sorry for your circumstances."

"Don't feel sorry for him, Luka," said Gakupo. "He's not worth it."

She smiled a small, tight smile, and turned away. There was just one more demon whose name Kaito did not know, and she was standing to the side, looking at everything and saying nothing, touching her long white hair pensively.

"Shall we sit down?" said Gakupo, and everyone agreed that this was an excellent idea.

They all took their spot around the table, and Anya brought plate after plate of food. Kaito tried to escape and sit next to the demoness that he didn't know - that seemed less scary than the others - but all the spots were quickly taken as if they had been previously decided, and the only one that remained was the one on the left of Gakupo. He landed there reluctantly.

But it seemed that he was going to be ignored. The demons talked all together of things that he didn't quite understand. From what he gathered, they seemed all rather close and worked all together, except for Len. Rin kept pushing him at the front of the conversation and he seemed embarrassed each time she did it. There were congratulations directed to Gakupo, and a toast was given. At some point, Gakupo switched to Latin to speak of Kaito in front of him, and he knew that it was about him because his name was mentioned several times. They looked at him and laughed. The human felt very alone.

So he focused on the food, but even there he found little comfort to be had. It all looked and smelled delicious, but it all had meat in it, something he had tried to avoid ever since he had learned about hell's meat. Yet he didn't want to be rude. He picked a little bit of everything and started to eat the parts that seemed to be made of vegetables or fruits, even if there was no telling if they really were what they seemed.

That was when a covered pot was brought out, much to the guests' delight. Kaito perked up, interested. He sank right back in his chair when he saw that it contained hundreds of brightly colored bugs, all alive, that swarmed at the bottom. The demons didn't seem all that bothered about it. They gleefully speared them with long sticks and gobbled them up as if they were the most delicious of treats.

"Miku would have loved those," said Rin. "It's too bad that you didn't invite her, she would have-- Ouch! Luka!" She turned to her neighbor, furious. "What was that for?"

"My bad," answered the five-eyed woman. "I didn't know that your leg was there."

"The table is big enough that you can swing your legs around without kicking me. I thought you were a good dancer, and then you do things like that..."

Kaito didn't have the leisure to follow the rest of the conversation because it seemed that Gakupo had just remembered that he existed. The demon slipped closer to him, passing an arm around his shoulder to pull him against his chest; in his other hand was a stick and a large, squirming bug at the end.

"Don't you want to try one, Kaito?" he asked with honey in his voice.

Kaito took one look at the wiggly creature, that still moved despite being speared through mercilessly. It seemed to have been fed until its bulbous flesh spread its chitin plates. He had to look away to shake his head.

"Are you certain?" murmured the demon in his ear. "It's delicious."

Kaito looked at the bug. It was alive. Didn't it wiggle when you ate it?

"Your call, I suppose." Kaito watched Gakupo eat it, crushing its head first before popping it entirely in his mouth. "But you got to finish your meat."

Kaito looked down at his place full of the remains of different dishes. "I'm not hungry," he said, right as his belly rumbled.

The demon chuckled as he closed in. He was so close that his smell overpowered the ones of the dishes. Kaito tightened his fists in his lap. This was the last moment to get aroused...

"Eat it or I'll forcefully feed you in front of everyone," he whispered. "You are toying with my patience."

Kaito looked down at his plate. He remembered what Gakupo had told him about not thinking about where it came from, as if he was eating animals. It couldn't be so hard?

The first forkful was the hardest for him. Luckily, the rest came easier. Anya was indeed an excellent cook. Gakupo chuckled darkly and went back to talking with the others.

It seemed that Kaito was going to be forgotten by the others, but of course with his luck, it wasn't to be. There was still one demoness whose name he did not know, and it was the one with the white hair. She didn't seem to be as talkative as a Rin or a Gakupo, but she did participate in the conversation when she had something to say, but only in Latin. Sometimes she glanced Kaito's way quickly, as if not knowing how to break to him that he wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't scary like Luka or loud like Rin, and so she was the most appealing to Kaito. He wondered what was her name.

She caught him staring, and that seemed to decide her. She turned to him fully, thinking about her words, then asked:

"Do you feel guilty of your murder?"

Kaito paused, blinking, taken by surprise.

That didn't discourage her. "Do you regret killing Gakupo?" She had a heavy accent, but there was no mistaking what she had just said.

All the demons stopped talking at that and turned to him, suddenly interested by what he had to answer.

"I..." said Kaito. "Well, maybe. I wouldn't do it again if I could go back." No, the consequences of his act had not been worth it. "But I was in love."

"And now, if you had a knife full of poison," suddenly said Gakupo, "Would you do it again?"

Kaito jerked his head in his direction. Gakupo was looking at him like a big smug cat, his head resting on his hand on the table. There was silence.

"I would," said Kaito.

The silence suddenly became heavy enough to cut with a knife. It wasn't the right answer, but what was he going to do? Lie? Pretend that he could forgive and forget?

Admit that, deep down, he wasn't sure?

Gakupo's smile only widened. "So you hate me that much," he said. "Your knife is sharp. Stab me."

There was a gasp from the public. Kaito's eyes widened. Gakupo only grinned and opened his opulent shirt, baring his chest for all to see. His flesh was pale and unmarred.

"Stab me in the heart," he said.

Would Kaito get in trouble if he obeyed? Was it a trap? He reached for his cutting knife, that was heavy and sharp - a knife built to slice through meat with ease. He lifted it, held it tight, and looked away.

"What are you waiting for?"

The demonesses were looking at the show with rapt attention. Would anyone intervene if he actually hurt their friend? Was all hell this eager for blood and spectacle that he could actually plunge a knife in someone's chest?

"Look at me in the eyes, Kaito."

He did. He looked into Gakupo's beautiful face. Yes, it was, indeed, beautiful, Kaito had always thought that it was. His eyes were mesmerizing. They burned him. He knew right then that he couldn't do it. The knife dropped to the floor with a heavy sound, and it was like a bell in the quiet dining room.

"Once again, you have proven to be a liar," said Gakupo. "Should I even trust you when you say that you regret killing me? I don't think that I will. Nothing that comes out of your mouth is true."

Kaito looked down, humiliated. He suddenly felt a hand on his chin, a hand that forced him to look back up into his tormentor's face.

"At least the good news is that you already have some traits of a good demon," said Gakupo. "Don't look so forlorn. You've just dodged your worth punishment yet: tonight, you'll be sleeping in a bed and not on the streets. So cheer up, my dear. Sometimes you can make the right choice."

There were a few chuckles from the demonesses, that commented on the scene in Latin. Gakupo poured himself some of that rich red wine, that looked suspiciously like blood, and rose his glass for a toast.

"To my future pupil, that might actually make it to the end of his apprenticeship!"

They cheered, even Kaito, was felt obliged to do so when Luka filled his glass and sent him a scary look. The wine didn't quite taste like the one he was used to - it seemed that spices had been added to it - but he definitely recognized the taste of alcohol in it. After what had happened, he was tempted to get drunk, but he knew that it was a bad idea when he was in such company.

He managed to finish his plate, which was a miracle and decided that eating human flesh wasn't too bad as long as he never met the people he was eating. After all, all those in the pits had deserved their fate, and if having their limbs chopped off was part of it, then he could be okay with that. Maybe. He still preferred not to think about it too hard.

The dinner was arriving at its end. Anya appeared again, bringing out the dishes as the demons sipped a glass of spiced wine. There were laughs when a living bug escaped and crawled over the napkin while everyone save the human tried to catch it again. The one that got to eat it was Rin, that boasted about her swiftness before biting down on it gleefully. The desserts were delicious, much to Kaito's delight. He fell in love with a special frozen treat, called strawberry ice cream. He ate some until he got a brain freeze. Watching him in pain became another source of hilarity for the demons.

Then came the time to sign the contract.

It was placed in front of Kaito almost by surprise. Gakupo produced a writing feather and a quill. He had stood up, and was not hovering over his human, watching over his shoulder. Kaito could feel his presence, intimidating and alluring, through his clothes and on the skin of his back.

The human knew that he should never sign something he couldn't read, but the parchment was just as incomprehensible as the last time. He picked and up and tried to read it regardless. Some words he thought that he recognized, but how could be sure?

"Is something the matter my dear?"

He almost looked back at Gakupo but stopped himself. "I can't understand what is written."

"Oh, do you really have to know?" said the demon, and there was a wicked smile in his voice.

"I do. I can't sign something I can't read."

"Oh, but you can." Gakupo pointed to the place at the bottom of the page. "Just write your name in full here."

"You know what I mean," replied Kaito.

"Oh, do I now?" The demon laughed. "I think you are the one that doesn't understand. We went over this Kaito." He sat on the table and tilted the human's face up with a finger. There was a light flush on his face from the wine. "You already promised that you would sign it."

"I didn't *promise* anything. At least translate it for me."

"The whole thing? Right now? When everyone is waiting?"

"This is boring," interrupted Rin. "It was more fun when everyone thought you were really going to stab him."

Kaito looked over at her and noticed that Len's chair was empty. That was odd enough, but he had other things on his mind. He hated that Gakupo was making a show out of him selling himself out, that there were so many eyes on him that he found it hard to find the courage to protest.

"There's no trick in this?" said Kaito.

"Let me put it like this, my dear: your options are limited at the moment. We talked this over many times."

"I know, I know, the pits..."

He signed and gave up. It was clear that no one was going to tell him anything more than this. He dipped the feather in the ink and signed.

Humans didn't have the same sense of magic as demons, so at most he felt a chill. Gakupo, on the other hand, arched his back a little and took in a long, shaky breath. Kaito couldn't help but think that this sounded like a sigh he would produce when in bed and blushed.

Gakupo then looked down at him, and there was a wide grin on his face. That was the moment his pupil knew that he had been caught. He frowned at him, which seemed to amuse the demon very much. The demonesses applauded.

"So good," purred Gakupo as he stroked his hair like a pet. "Continue being this obedient, and you will be a quiet smart demon some day. Congratulations on avoiding the pits once and for all."

He snatched the contract away from him, folding it neatly and giving it to Anya, that carried it away. Rin was already serving everyone another round of wine. Kaito felt like he was going to be sick if he looked at all of their smug faces one moment longer.

"May I leave now?" he asked his master.

Gakupo tilted his head, considering it. "Well, I don't see why not. You may. Have sweet dreams, my dear pupil."

The was the title rolled over his tongue made Kaito shudder with horror.


	17. Hungover

The wood creaked under his foot, startling him, but the scariest thing was the growl that came from Gakupo's room at the noise. Kaito stilled, shocked by the sound, but when nothing happened he allowed himself to relax.

Someone had drunk a little too much last night.

Kaito knew that Gakupo liked to rise at dawn, but today was an exception, apparently. It wasn't that late, but it was late enough that Kaito had awoken on his own, had gotten dressed, and was now hungry enough to go and visit the kitchen. Before that, he had remained in his bed, thinking about his new status and trying to sort his thoughts about everything that was happening. The only conclusions he came to were that he was now on his way to become a demon and that thinking too hard about what that implied was giving him a headache.

He could have just gone down the stairs, but he decided otherwise. Call it curiosity if you will. He tiptoed to the half-opened door of Gakupo's room and glanced inside.

Kaito's nemesis was laying on his stomach in the sheltered darkness of his room, emerged down to his midriff and wearing that transparent shirt he favored as a nightwear. His hair was everywhere, all over the sheets and hiding his face. Was he asleep?

A pair of eyes with black scleras glared at Kaito from under his messy bands, answering that last question. Kaito backed up every so slightly. The other didn't make another move.

"What?" said Gakupo.

"Oh, I was just wondering--"

Kaito had to jump back into the hallway to avoid a pillow being thrown his way.

"To damn loud," hissed the demon from inside the room. The sheets ruffled.

When Kaito looked back in, Gakupo had buried himself under his blankets like a hibernating bear. He knew he shouldn't try his luck, but he had a question that needed to be asked.

"Is there going to be any lesson today?" whispered Kaito. Surely the other couldn't hear that.

Gakupo proved to him that he was perfectly capable of hearing him when he flipped him off. Kaito guessed that this was to be taken as a no and moved to the first floor as quietly as he could. He made sure to commit to memory that hangover Gakupo was the moodiest Gakupo so far.

He made his way to the kitchen from the living room, and so he didn't pass through the eating room yet. He didn't want to see the room yet. There was Anya there, sitting down with something to sew. She looked up when he came in, and smiled.

"Well, that makes two on three that are up. There were so many leftovers that I didn't cook this morning. They are out on the table if you would like."

"Two on three?" Said Kaito, intrigued. He turned to look at the dining room. Did she mean Arin?

At the table, reading the newspaper, was Len.

Kaito blinked slowly. This was the last person he would have expected. Where had he slept? There were guests rooms around the house, but then wouldn't have Rin stayed to?

Had he slept with Gakupo?

Len folded his paper and reached for a cup full of coffee. He took a slow sip, before putting it back down, and then looked at Kaito.

"In polite demon society, the lessers are supposed to salute first," he said. "Please commit that to memory."

"Good morning!" said Kaito, mortified. He bowed briefly.

"Oh Lords, you are doing this all wrong," replied Len in an annoyed tone. "Just sit down and stop making a fool of yourself."

Kaito pulled a chair quietly and looked at his options for breakfast. He settled on a piece of bread and some meat paste, that he started to prepare for himself quietly.

"How dull you are," said Len. "I would have expected to be at least somewhat interesting. Is 'murderer' your only personality trait?"

Kaito looked up at the demon in shock. That had been uncalled for. What in the world was wrong with him?

"My sister thinks that you might be a competition for me, but she's wrong," continued Len. "She's been pushing for me to enter the Bees since their creation, even if it's an all-female group. Gakupo promised her that he would consider it if I became better at singing and dancing. We are both aware that he's dangling you over our head to make me jealous, but honestly, he's made a poor choice. You walk like a duck, your face is asymmetrical and you have no conversation."

Kaito couldn't hold his tongue anymore. "And what do you gain from telling me all this?"

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. If you are so sure that I won't take your spot, why do you even bother?" Kaito thought about what to say next. What would Gakupo do? He was an expert at getting on people's nerves, and the human, after having gone through so much, needed to make someone snap. He forced himself to smile and used his most honeyfull voice. "You've got foolish dreams, boy, you know that? He's just toying with you because he thinks you are cute. He told me himself."

That hit seemed to get Len right where it hurt. He stood up so quickly the chair fell back, and he spread his wings to make himself appear bigger.

"You are a liar," he hissed. "You're just jealous!"

Kaito felt a sadistic surge of delight. He covered his chuckles with his hand. "Oh, boy, your insecurity can be smelled from miles away. I didn't want to bring them up, I was just sitting there saying nothing, but then you brought up the fact that I had a dull conversation. I would have said nothing but you were just _asking_ for it--"

He didn't have the time to end his sentence. Len leaped above the table, hissing, clawed hands outstretched and fangs bared. He looked monstrous, his jaws unhinged so that he could open wide gaping maws. That's all Kaito had the time to see before he attempted to duck him, not to avail. The demon was upon him before he knew it.

Clawed hands tore through Kaito's clothes viciously, trying to get to the skin. Kaito fell back and his head hit the ground, stunning him just long enough for Len's hands to close around his throat and tighten. He had the same strength all demons had, despite his frail frame, and squeezed.

"You little bastard," screamed Len. "How dare you talk back to me in your position! I'll show you..."

He pulled and slammed Kaito's head against the ground again. The human tried to struggle against him, punching him, clawing his face with his dull nails, but he might as well have been a kitten fighting a dog. But he kept struggling. Dammit, he thought, this wasn't Gakupo, he didn't have the right to hit him!

He heard the new arrival before he could see him. Len was mowed off him and hit a wall with a cry. Kaito, with stars in front of his eyes, recognized Gakupo as he stepped over him. He still wore nothing but his transparent shirt and his hair was a mess, as if he had just come out of bed. Kaito tensed in fear of punishment, but his master ignored him like he was part of the rug.

"Why. Are. You *screaming*," hissed Venomania.

"Gakupo, I'm sorry," blabbered Len, big-eyed and making himself smaller than he was. "I didn't want to upset you, it was him that--"

"Silence!"

Gakupo grabbed Len by the shirt and dragged him forth. It seemed that even among demons he was strong enough to do as he wished with them. Kaito scooted out of the way quickly when the other passed him. Len kept talking about how sorry he was, without getting the point that his talking was exactly the problem. He was thrown out the front door moments later.

"Arin!" Called Gakupo.

Kaito, on all four because he was still dizzy from the hits to the head, crept to the door to look into the hallway. He saw Arin come down the stairs quickly, looking apologetic. Gakupo slapped him, but not too hard that the sound might be loud.

"When I said you could pick anyone you want and I would pay, you knew very well that Len was out of the question. I don't want this to happen again, is that clear?"

The butler nodded quickly, without talking. He retreated to the stairs and vanished again. Kaito found it strange that he wouldn't say a word. Was something wrong with him? Or maybe he knew better than to speak when the master of the house was having a hangover.

Gakupo turned his attention to his pupil. "Kaito."

Kaito froze and looked up. The demon didn't look at the best of his shape with his blood-shot eyes and colorless cheeks. That only made him scarier.

"Bring me some Adderbalk tea," he said, before going back to his room.

Kaito was shocked that he survived this encounter unscathed. He got up on wobbly legs, wondering how in the world he was going to make tea before Anya beckoned him to the kitchen.

"I see you've come face to face with hungover mister Venomania," she said as she put a pot over the stove. "Congratulations on surviving. I'll make the tea for you, that's the only thing that's going to save us all, but get me the tray over there."

Kaito obeyed. The tray in question was a lovely piece of work, with different colored woods making a picture on it. Kaito glanced at it and blushed. Much like the paintings Gakupo liked to decorate his house with - and that Kaito had learned to ignore - this one was erotic in nature. But it did have feet, and was obviously made for breakfast in bed, so why not.

"Is he... usually like this?" He asked.

"Venomania?"

"No, Len. I was just minding my own business..."

"It depends. You know, I think that he is as worried as his sister about the possibility that you might integrate the Bees in his place. Their member already has a Kagamine in them, they don't need a second one, especially a twin."

"What do you mean?"

Anya leaned against the counter and crossed her arms, thoughtful. "You are aware that Gakupo is part of a performing group called the Hornet and the Bees, right?"

Kaito shook his head.

"Well," continued the demoness, "Mister Venomania and the other demons you met last night are all high-class courtesans, but here in Allacard everyone likes a good show. Basically, they go on stage, dance, sing, and have sex for an audience. For a courtesan to be part of a successful group makes nights with them extremely expensive, and mister Venomania is right now is a rising star, favored by Asmodeus - that's the big boss of this entire city, by the way. Rin and Len are both Kagamine, a family that's been courtesans for a long, long time, and those two are the last generation born to them. Rin definitely has the ball rolling every since she entered the Bees, but Len hasn't appeared in a single on-stage show so far. So, naturally, Rin tries to help him out by pushing mister Venomania to accept him into the Bees. So far all good?"

Kaito nodded. "But what does it have to do with me?"

"Well, mister Venomania promised that he would help Len how he can. He never said he would accept him in the Bees, but Rin wants it to happen. There was no one else in their entourage to outshine him until now."

This made Kaito laugh, a small, sour laugh. "That's ridiculous. I don't even want the spot."

She shrugged and pulled the pot off the water. "If mister Venomania wanted you to take it, at this point you would pretty much be forced to do it, as long as you two are bound by a soul contract. But he won't. He's very happy with the way the group is at the moment and he won't be making any change to it anytime soon, so you're safe. That won't stop the Kagamine from imagining what they want."

"Can't they see that he despises me and thinks that I am an idiot?"

She gave him a knife and a loaf of bread. "Cut me three slices, and put some of that meat paste on them from the table. And they do, they are not dumb, but they also see that you are a young, mildly attractive man that's constantly living at mister Venomania's house. They probably think that with time you would be able to seduce mister Venomania more than what Len's willing to."

Kaito wasn't even comfortable with his attraction to men. Hearing that someone in this big wide world actually thought him capable of seducing one - especially a man like Gakupo - was positively bizarre. He mused over it as he prepared the sliced bread for his master.

When he was done, Anya took them out of his hands and placed them carefully on a plate. The tray looked like something that would have been served in a high-quality inn, each item both elegant and richly decorated. She gave it to him carefully. Kaito sent her a panicked look.

"Don't make that face," she said. "Trust me, he asked you to bring it to him. That probably means that he has something to tell you. Don't forget to whisper when you are in his room."

Those last news terrified him. He hoped he wasn't in any way punished. This Adderbalk tea looked quite hot, the last thing he wanted was for it to be thrown in his face.

He tiptoed into Gakupo's room like a deer entering the territory of a lion. The curtains had been open and his master was laying on his side in the bed, reading one of the books he stacked on the floor within reach. He closed it, glanced up, and sat up straight quietly to take the tray from his pupil's hands.

"Stay," he said when the other pretended to leave.

Kaito stood still.

"Sit."

Kaito sat on the bed.

Gakupo then ignored him. He poured himself a cup of tea and blew on it softly. He didn't risk drinking any of it and instead went to tear one of the pieces of bread very slowly with his fingers. Kaito watched him do the entire time.

"So I turn my back one second when there is another demon in the house and you manage to start a fight with him," said Gakupo.

"I'm sorry," whispered Kaito.

"You've called Len, a hundred-year-old demon, boy."

Kaito looked down.

"Did you want to die?" Gakupo sounded amused. "That's how you make yourself a mortal enemy."

"He started it."

There was silence. Kaito started to fear that he had gone over what was allowed of him. He tensed slowly as time stretched.

"He did, yes. And that's why I am not punishing you for insubordination. But if you keep challenging demons like that, I won't always be there to save you."

"Then I'll just get strong enough so that I don't require any saving."

Gakupo chuckled. "Will you now? How interesting."

"I will eventually."

"And then what? Will you stab me then?"

Kaito didn't answer.

"I have to admit though, your desire for strength is admirable, and you responded to Len as a true demon would. I love those that put a grand show as much as another, and you are making it awfully hard not to cheer for you."

Kaito looked up, surprised. Had that been a compliment? From Gakupo? That sounded hardly believable.

"Take care of yourself today, read a book, whatever suits you," said the master. "There are a few errands I need to run once I have recovered from this. Tomorrow, however, I will present you to your Latin mentor and I'll take you somewhere fun."

"Somewhere fun?" repeated Kaito, narrowing his eyes.

"The market. It's about time you saw a little bit of Allacard for yourself. I think that it might be very interesting."


	18. Tadili

Gakupo had said that it was a marketplace and, at first glance, it looked exactly like one. Despite himself, Kaito felt excited to be outside; it felt forever since the last time he had been. There was no reason for him to think that there would be any bad surprise in stock for him this time.

"We'll be spending the day here," said Gakupo to Arin once they came down from the carriage. "Come and get us at three o'clock. And I better not smell anyone I don't approve of on you."

Arin grunted in response. Kaito was persuaded, by now, that the butler had had something with his voice. It had been three days since he stopped talking and he had started to produce sound again since this morning only. And he could tell that the man wasn't necessarily in a bad mood, as he had initially thought. He didn't dare ask what was wrong with him because he was scared that he wouldn't like the answer.

"There is somewhere that I want to go first," said Gakupo as he turned around to Kaito. "Someone I know has invited me to come over to see something interesting. Keep your eyes opened, this is where you will learn the most about what sort of world you now live in."

And keep his eyes open, Kaito did. Gakupo was the type to walk in long but quick strides, unafraid to bump into anyone as the crowd seemed to part for him. Keeping up with him was hard, but Kaito managed to do both that and keep his eyes on what was being sold. There were some stands where food, both meat that was universal and fruits he didn't recognize, was displayed, but they weren't the only one. The passed in front of shops with a thousand different clothes that shone and shimmered alluringly, shops filled with baubles and decorations, shops with items with mysterious use. There were sellers in the crowd itself, carrying newspapers or trays with snacks with four arms, that they might transport and protect their wares at the same time. It was all dazzling, and Kaito, after having been starved of sensations after having remained God knew how long inside, felt his head spin. But it was a good spin.

"Here we are," said Gakupo suddenly.

There were standing near high wood barriers. The smell of beasts impregnated the air, and it all felt very strange to the human. Weren't they in the city? Yet this reminded him of a farm.

he was brought to gates, that opened with a push, and the moment he passed them he was in another world.

He stepped closer to Gakupo. There were fewer demons here, but the beasts in the cages were all terrifying. There were gross monkey with seven heads and one single eye on each, harpies with the faces of crocodiles and the chest of women, six-legged horses, giant bugs laying over each other in a pent, enormous snails whose heads jumped out of their spiky shells to snap at anything passing by and many other things that made Kaito recoil in fear. All of those horrors were, thankfully, locked up, caged, bolted to the ground by metal chains, but that didn't make them any less threatening to the human.

Gakupo, that ignored his pupil's discomfort, looked around and went to look at one particular beast, that was held in a large cage. Kaito approached it too. It looked like a cross between a bull and a rhinoceros with his metal plates covering his flanks, except that he had spikes all over him and maws that opened down to his neck.

There was something else in the cage, but it was half covered in blood-stained hay. When it moved, Kaito looked away, uneasy.

"Ah, I see that you have latched upon the best creature in my menagerie, as usual," said a loud male voice.

Kaito turned around to see who had addressed Gakupo. He was a strong man, asymmetrical: on one side was one strong and armored arm, with a guard of spikes at his shoulder, and the other he had two other arms, thinner and covered in human skin. There were scars across his face and over his knuckles and he was dressed in scratched, beaten up leather that looked like armor. He was a little wide in the stomach but mostly large from his bones and muscles; he looked like he could wrestle an ox. He smiled, baring the tusks from his lower jaw a little more.

"Matheo!" cried Gakupo, delighted. "He's a beauty, I couldn't help admiring him. He must cost a fortune!"

"He's an order from an arena. It's my colleague from Irdiescian Park that took care of importing him, and I thought that it might be a neat thing to show visitors."

"Oh, Arin would have loved seeing this so much. He wanted to become a gladiator before he entered my service and thankfully gave up on it, but he never stopped being fascinated by anything pertaining to this world."

"Arin?" Matheo laughed, a laugh as giant as his bull. "He'll need a few craft sessions to fit in the smallest of gladiator armors."

"Oh, he had been taken in as a spiker, you know, for a start, but then he angered one of the star gladiators and was eviscerated during a show." Gakupo added maliciously: "I believe that it was a bedroom-related spat. He didn't go back after recovering."

"Eh, from what I heard, he got a more docile lover nowadays."

Gakupo blinked slowly as he registered what Matheo had just told him. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, if you don't know about it, then I don't think that I will tell you anything about it. It's most probably all silly rumors."

"No, no I am very interested in those rumors, please, do tell."

"You're going to mock me for telling you such stupid things."

"I *insist*."

"All right. But you asked for it. Well, recently, all of Eden street say that the boy Kagamine, I forgot his name..."

"Len." Gakupo's smile was forced; Kaito could tell. "You are thinking about Len."

"Oh yeah, that's his name. Well, Len has taken a lover outside of, you know, professional duties, for free, and they say that your butler has been running to his bed every free moment he has."

"How... interesting. What an interesting thing to say."

"I mean, it's most likely more based on how everything an encounter between them would go. Everyone knows that you and Arin can't fit because you both can't stand bottoming, so they guess. Arin knows Len, and they are more compatible, and he spends so much time at his house you know..."

"Really? How *very interesting*."

"You didn't know all that?" Matheo seemed to finally catch on the fact that something was amiss with Gakupo. "You weren't sending him on errands?"

"Of course I have. I send him on errands all the time. All the time! And I make sure that Arin spends all his free time at the Kagamine otherwise I ground him. What else would it be?"

Matheo seemed very confused.

"But that's all silly rumors," continued Gakupo dryly. "I believe that's not what you wanted to show me today."

"Right," said Matheo, nodding. "They all just arrived. I believe that you have been waiting to get one for a while now, right?"

Gakupo nodded, his former soul mood already forgotten. He was ginning and his eyes were shining in excitement.

"That way. I've put them in the back because their enclosure in front isn't ready. I have one of my assistants to take care of it."

They walked into a wooden hut. It was rather dark inside until Matheo clapped his hands and a ceiling light crystal came on. There was a large cage there, full of dark shadows and eyes, that made strange noises. Kaito, not very reassured by the looks of it, stayed near the door so that he could be the first one to bolt to safety.

The animal keeper opened the latch on the side of the cage and put in his armored hand. There were some loud hisses and some screams as the shadows moved around his limb, engulfing it, but neither of the demons seemed alarmed by that.

Matheo pulled out a monkey... a small, black monkey, that could easily sit in the palm of a hand and that looked at the world accusingly with eyes that ate half its face. Being carried seemed to offend it deeply, its thick fur sticking up in every direction in an effort to appear a tiny bit bigger. Its tiny hands gripped its carrier's thumb, its fingers delicate and chubby, and its long tail coiled around his arm. Around its neck and chest was a tight ribbon with a tag and a number on it.

Gakupo made a strange strangled sound. "Seven lords," he said, reaching out to it before pulling his hands back. "He's too..."

"She pretty much reached her adult size at this point," said Matheo, "but she wouldn't be able to perform any tricks for a few more weeks until she gets her magic. All the kakamoras here are from a personal friend of mine that breeds them in the Forests of Sloth. What do you say?"

"Does she have a name?"

"I mean, you can look at others if you wish to make a choice but--"

"No, no she's perfect."

The monkey - the kakamora - looked at Gakupo and puffed her fur further - except that this time she looked proud about being the center of attention.

"Do you want to hold her?" Asked Matheo.

"Please," said Gakupo.

She climbed on his hand and looked up at him, curiously. She reached up and poked his face with soft fingers, curious. Gakupo was smiling like a madman, completely enamored with the small creature.

Seeing that he was being ignored, Kaito slipped back outside to wait. Now that he was a little calmer, he wanted to take a closer look at the creatures that were standing outside. He wasn't stopped, which he took as approval from Gakupo.

He wandered on his own in the perimeter of the high fences before he found some horses, or at least the same type of headless horses that pulled Gakupo's carriage, in a pen. Upon approaching then, he noticed that they did have an eye, right where the spine should have been in the section of their neck. He watched them feed too. They dipped their tongues in big bags full of fresh blood while making strange sounds that reminded him of purrs.

"They must seem quite strange to you," said a woman.

"Excuse me?" He looked at her. He was surprised by her eyes, one blue and one brown, and how petite and harmless she looked. With her perfectly curly chestnut hair, she reminded him of a doll.

"Oh, I didn't mean to intrude," she said. Her voice was soft. "You smell like a contractee, but a human scent still clings to you. I supposed you just arrived in hell recently. Are you a pupil?"

"Oh... I guess."

"I guess?" She laughed. "Have you signed a contract or not?"

"I have, but... Well, I haven't started to learn anything."

"You don't look too happy."

"Is it that obvious?"

She stepped closer to him, her hands behind her back, head tilted to the side. "Call it feminine intuition. Or concern. Demons can be concerned, no matter what your master might have shown you."

He laughed, unconvinced.

"I'm serious! Listen, let me prove it to you. I know someone that can help you but I need to bring you to her. There are too many eyes here for you to escape, but if you can lose your master in the crowd later, I can find you and guide you."

He took a moment to consider it. He didn't know her. He didn't know her friend. She was some random stranger he had just met and something about that blue eye of hers unsettled him. But he was a pupil now. Gakupo had told him time and time again that it made him different from a human. She had told him that she could smell it on him, that meant that any demon could come to the same conclusion. If that didn't stop any sort of aggression, he didn't know what did.

He had to try.

"So?" She asked. "Will you come?"

"I'll try."

She smiled. "I'll be watching and waiting."

She pulled her hood over her head. Her hair fell in such a way, now, that her blue eye was hidden from sight. She nodded to Kaito and walked away, quickly leaving the enclosure.

When Gakupo came out of the hut, shortly after, he was beaming. There was a leash attached around a loop of his belt and, if you followed the red cord, it lead to the open top of his shirt. The Kakamora was sitting there, half hidden behind the flap of his shirt, peering at Kaito while eating what looked to be a berry.

"Kaito, look at her," said Gakupo, beaming. "Her name is Tadili now."

"She's coming back with us?" said Kaito, surprised.

"I've been wanting one of her kind since forever, and she's exactly how I envisioned her. And look at her, isn't she the most precious little angel?"

Kaito looked at the monkey. She was now wiping her berry-stained fingers on Gakupo's white collar.

"All right," said Kaito. "I've uh, never been much of a monkey expert."

"A mon-- Are you implying that she is some inferior primate?" Gakupo frowned. "As if you knew anyway! She's an imp, and she's far smarter than what you will ever be."

This was the point where Kaito decided that she would never be anything but a dumb monkey to him.

"We have things to do," continued Gakupo. "We'll be needing things for her, and I'm getting hungry. Come along and observe, my dear, there is still much to do.

They left the enclosure and went back into the market. Kaito couldn't take his mind off the lady he had seen earlier, and her mysterious offer.


	19. Pale in the Dark

 

Kaito quickly grew bored of Gakupo's new obsession.

It turned out that Tadili was smarter than what he would have expected from a monkey. She quickly understood that Gakupo adored her from the moment he saw her and, most importantly, that she got whatever she pointed at. They got her a dollhouse - to be delivered to their place the next day - some soft blankets, a plush her size, and way, way too many fruits. She also learned that if she wandered away from Gakupo's collar, that every single shop owner and passer-by would fawn over her, her silky fur and her big eyes. But she's shyly run back to her owner when she felt overwhelmed.

At some point, Gakupo held her in both hands and kissed her head. "I won't let anything happen to you," he said to her. The scene marked Kaito; his master, for a second, had seemed very sad. His pupil wondered if Gakupo had owned a kakamora before, and what had happened to it.

Lunch was eaten, much to Kaito's shock, standing up and with the hands. He repulsed to touch his food with his fingers. All his life he had been taught that only savages and the poor did that, that cutlery was the mark of people of higher status. He asked for some and Gakupo wracked him on the back of the head, calling him an idiot. He eventually ate his sandwich without protesting any more.

Gakupo, on the other hand, was as hungry as ever and ate three times more than his pupil. The latter looked at him with disgust. To him, the demon was a repulsive creature, sitting on the world, expecting everyone to serve him and consuming food and sex when he pleased. He committed every sin in the book without a care. He gorged himself with pleasure. He reminded Kaito of a tic, sitting in one place and sucking the blood out of everything it could crawl on, mindlessly stocking up reserves of delight at the expense of others.

Gakupo, ignoring his glare, finished his meal and licked his fingers, grunting softly. Heat invaded Kaito's midriff and he had to look away before the lewd images in his mind became too much. Why did such a disgusting creature had to be so pleasant to look at? If only he was as ugly as he was inside, it would be easier to keep shameful thoughts at bay.

With the temptation rising, Kaito only doubled his efforts to find an opening to escape. He saw it when Gakupo turned his back to him as he was negotiating the price for a hat that pleased him. He kept away slowly at first, then when he was sure that he wouldn't get caught, dodged behind a large demon that was passing by and went down the aisle until he was out of sight.

He had not seen the demoness since they had parted, not even once in the crowd. The moment he was away from Gakupo she appeared like a vulture in the blue sky, smiling gently at him and signaling for him to follow her.

Kaito felt the difference of treatment from the crowd right away. He had almost taken for granted the way the crowd made space for them when he moved with Gakupo. With the doll, he suddenly found that he had to slip around arms and backs. He found out how very full the market was... and he felt small and exposed, unprotected. He remembered the demons of Cupid Park's, that had gotten to him last time he had escaped Gakupo's sight. That had not been such a long time ago.

But luckily his fears had no ground, and they got out of the market and into the surrounding streets. There was a carriage waiting there, pulled by four of the headless horses and guarded by two giants. His companion didn't hesitate before walking to it, but Kaito paused.

He realized that he had just wandered into something that had been planned. Looking back on how he had been approached, how someone was willing to wait at least two hours for him to escape his master's attention, how conveniently this carriage had been waiting for him, he called himself stupid for not realizing earlier. He wanted to leave, he almost did, but right at that moment, the door opened on the dark cabinet.

"Come, Kaito Shion," said a female voice.

It wasn't the tone someone would use to trap someone else, it was the voice of someone that spoke to be obeyed. This scared him further but it was too late. He approached and climbed into the vehicle, under the watchful eyes of her Cerebus.

Many years later, Kaito would remember the moment he saw Miku for the first time; she was extraordinarily eerie to look at on that day, so pale in the darkness that every detail seemed crystallized as if she was glowing without light. She seemed to be made of layers upon layers of the same silky fabric. Even her skin was made out of it, so thin her blue veins could be mapped. She had been reading a book that she now kept on her lap with both of her hands over it. There were dreadfully white on the black cover.

She did not look at him. She had a hat that was tied to her head with a large ribbon, and from that hat hung cloth that hid her eyes from sight. If she would have turned towards him when he entered, Kaito would have froze in his tracks. Instead, he sat across her quietly and observed her some more. He was trying to pinpoint what was about her that struck her as off.

Suddenly he realized: she had no apparent demon features. He had been so used to seeing wings, horns, and tails emerge from any and every part of the body that it felt odd that not seeing one seemed to him like an outcast thing to do. It intrigued him. Who was she?

"Hello, Kaito," she said. Her voice was beautiful and clear. He didn't like her, but listening to her he decided that he could learn to love her voice. "I am glad that you could make it. My name is Miku Hatsune, and I am your master's former master."

He had heard the name several times. His first thought was to question why no one had mentioned more about her, her immaculateness. This was the idea he had of holy, this scary sacredness that no one touched. He felt as if there were no words to describe how deeply impressed he was with her. He couldn't stop observing her, wondering how something so frail and powerful could hold herself without falling into pieces.

The door to the carriage closed. There was just enough light that they might see each other, yet everything was so odd that it didn't strike Kaito as strange.

She seemed to understand his silence and just carried on. "I've heard of you and wanted to meet you. You have a very interesting story. Say, what do you think about the demon world?"

Kaito thought about his answer. The first image that came to him was Gakupo sucking on his fingers to devour every last bit of food. "It's disgusting."

"How so?"

"There is no sense to it, no morality. It's like... no one knows where to stop. And everyone is so selfish. The other day I brandished a knife to Gakupo's chest..." He stopped, realizing that he might be talking beyond what he was allowed to do.

"Go on," she said. She leaned in to listen.

"Well, I... in truth, in don't like my master at all. He's the worst. He keeps saying that I need to be grateful because otherwise, I would be going to the pit, but I can't stand him."

"Ah. Yes. I also know about your history - he has no secret from me." She hummed, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "But I want to hear about that knife."

"But you'll be angry at me," said Kaito. "I threatened your pupil."

"Try me, you might be surprised."

That was the moment he started to trust her. Something in the way she spoke to him was mischievous. It was like the flash of a younger soul from behind a fan, teasing him like a friend. The sensation was gone under an instant, but Kaito was persuaded that it had been there, and that's why he opened up to her.

"Well, we had dinner with his friends, and I threatened him with a knife once he asked me if I would stab him. No one made a single move to stop me. They were all his friends! Yet they just sat and watch." He looked down. "There is nothing real in this world, no love anywhere. Yet he... He pretends as if there is. He calls me an idiot, but he's one."

"Why do you say that? He seems rather successful. That makes him the opposite of an idiot."

"Because he's crass." Kaito had thought about it already, late at night in his bed. "Everyone is disgusting. Everything that's similar like to associate with each other."

"I wouldn't have said it better myself," she said, but it was like she was talking to herself. "But why didn't you stab him?"

"I..." Kaito stopped himself and thought about it. "Well, I knew that I wouldn't be able to kill him and that I would be punished if I tried," he lied. "So I didn't. When I will hurt him, I will destroy him."

She rose her head imperceptibly, but it was amplified by the tip of her large hat. "That's either very stupid or very brave. A demon isn't so easily destroyed."

"He'll teach me how to do it with time. If I am going to become a demon, then I will know what are their weakness."

She chuckled. "I see. That's well thought. But he won't tell you how to destroy him. However, if you had another master..."

She suddenly stopped talking, tilted her head, then signaled to Gakupo that he needed to remain quiet. She seemed amused.

Suddenly, the door opened wide and light flooded the carriage. Kaito protected his eyes with his hand for the first moments so didn't see the iron hand that gripped him coming. He recognized the intruder the moment he was thrown on the pavement. On Gakupo would do something like that.

"What is the meaning of this?" He cried.

Kaito got on his hands and knees, then stood up quickly, but his master was not looking at him. He was standing near the carriage and looking into it, at Miku. She wasn't answering his questions.

"Answer me!" He cried.

She laughed. The door slammed in his face and the carriage took off, the four horses jumping into a sprint as all the servants hopped on it. The doll sat on the top facing the back, her thin legs dangling in the emptiness as she waved goodbye.

"Curse you Miku!" screamed Gakupo. "Don't you come anywhere near him again!"

Kaito knew that he was next. Yet when the other turned to him he was not hit, instead, his master looked at him harshly before sighing.

"You will regret this."

And then nothing more. No hits, no screaming, not even a cruel smile. This only terrified Kaito even more. Gakupo already knew what he was going to do, and he was going to do it without fail. What had he been thinking, wandering off following strangers as he had done? Had he forgotten that they were linked now, tied to each other? He might not have been told anything about the link between them, but he knew that it went deeper than just a signature on a contract. That his master had found him so quickly might indicate that he had a way to locate him. What else could he do?

"We're leaving," said Gakupo. He turned around and walked away, expecting to be followed. Kaito obeyed, resigned.

She had mentioned having a different master than that... did she mean it? Could such a thing be done?

They re-entered the market, but Gakupo's mood was gloomy. He did nothing but walk up and down the aisles, looks at everything but buying nothing. Eventually, he bought himself a snack, lead them to a park and sat on a bench to eat it. Tadili hopped off his shoulder and laid in his lap, and he pet her gently. That seemed to cheer him up a little. Kaito sat near him, not daring to go anywhere since earlier. The silence made him feel absolutely terrible, a mixture of guilt and fear that made him want to vomit.

The clock striking three times seemed to wake Gakupo from his trance.

"Oh," he said. "Arin's coming to get us. Wonderful."

He got up and moved away without a glance back, and once again Kaito followed. The butler was indeed waiting for them where he had dropped them off. When they came near him, Gakupo narrowed his eyes at him and Arin was unable to hold his gaze.

"I've heard things," said the master. "We are to have a little conversation, you and I when we get home."

Conveniently, Arin was back at being unable to say a thing. He looked ahead of him, at the horses. Gakupo added nothing more in front of Kaito - not that Kaito didn't know what this was about, with the conversation he had witnessed between Matheo and his master. They both climbed in and departed.

"What did she tell you?" said Gakupo once they had been on the road for some time.

"What did she tell me?" Kaito felt himself freeze up. What if she had told him something that would anger the other?

"Well? I asked a question."

Kaito didn't answer.

"You are better off not hiding anything from me, my dear. It would be regrettable if I would have to beat it out of you."

"She didn't say much. She mostly asked questions." Kaito hoped that this was enough.

"What sort of questions?"

"What I thought of the demon world. What I thought about you."

Gakupo nodded and looked out the window, not pushing him any further. He didn't add anything the whole way back. Once again, he gave off an impression of deep sadness.


	20. Angel

He didn't want to think about Miku, yet she kept invading his mind. Gakupo hated that she still held this much power over him after all those years despite him resisting her. She had not even talked to him! This was supposed to be the day where he got another kakamora, one of his long-time dreams. She didn't have the right to come and ruin it, and yet she had done it anyway.

How could she? How could she live with herself at night, knowing what she had done?

He hated her. He hated her so, so much, with all the passion of someone that had wanted nothing more than to be loved by her.

He had told Arin that they would talk once at home, but not in this state. Anya sensed his mood right away and let him pass without a word. With the way his coat whipped at his passage, he was like a dark storm cloud rushing through the house. Even Tadili was scared of him. The moment he let her get down, she hopped off him and dashed off to explore some of the hiding places of the house.

There was a place he could go when he felt like that. It was a hidden door in the room where he danced for guests, a place that had never been tainted by Kaito's scent - meaning that it was undiscovered. Those among his clients that were brave enough, that wanted to know the very limits of pain and pleasure told him they wanted to be taken there. That was the White Room.

Gakupo slid the access panel. For a second, the light that came from behind him revealed the plain pained walls, the immaculate tiles and the drain in the corner, the single black spot of this place. Then he locked himself in and he was in the dark.

Finally, he could scream, and he did just so. Was he in his human or in his demon form? He didn't know, he couldn't even see his hands, those hands that smashed against the reinforced walls with all of his strength. He screamed, and clawed, like a demon, like a trapped monster. She had made him that.

Five years. This was how much time he had belonged to her; she had been his one and only Goddess for five years. They called her the greatest flesh crafter of her time, and she had made him into her masterpiece... pristine on the outside and twisted the inside. He understood that it was this contrast that made him so alluring to all those that admired him. 'I will fix you,' had told him the man that had bought his virginity. 'Give me your pain, I'll save you,' had said others he had led into the White Room. They all wanted to be the special one, the healer, the savior, to be adored, but they were unable to see the truth.

Because the truth, the bitter truth, was that Gakupo was not broken. Under Miku's care, he had touched the bottom of sanity and had been brought back. They loved him because they thought that it was wrong to love him. But he was just Gakupo. He had always been just that. He could laugh, he could live and enjoy his life, and he would never become what he had been before her. What was there to fix? Would they take the memories away? Would they make him become a human again too?

Nothing would take away his past. It was the pain that molded his body. He was a chimera of twisted pieces sewn together and it hurt each time he saw her face. He hated her. But he loved her. He loved her desperately in the hopes that she might love him back, that one day she will tell him sorry. It was a fool's hope, he knew it, and it hurt so, so much.

It hurt as much as his broken bones when he smashed his hands again, as much as the screams that tore his sore throat. How long had he been locked in? He didn't know. He forgot. He might as well stay there forever.

"Stop," said a voice.

Suddenly, there was a light that enveloped him and caressed him. Someone touched his broken hands, and in that touch was all the care a soul could feel for another. Gakupo knew before he realized who was there. There was but one sort of being in creation that could create such awe in a demon as the one he felt upon looking at her face.

"Stop, please," said the angel. "I beg you. I love you too much to see you suffer like this."

"Gumi..." said Gakupo. "Gumi, you are here."

"I am."

He slowly fell to his knees, clinging to her sun-colored dress. She stroked his head and shoulders with all of the tenderness of a mother reassuring her child. In a sense, she was his mother. When she had chosen the path of the angel, she had been initiated to the voice of the universe. She could hear every creature, understood all of their languages and loved everything she looked upon. However, she remained Gumi, the human he had once loved, the only woman he had loved.

"There... there," she whispered. "Cry it out. There is no shame."

He did. The tears poured out and then left. By the time it was done, he was laying with his head on her lap and she was holding his hands again, looking at the purple marks on his knuckles where the bone was shattered.

"Doesn't it hurt?" she asked.

"I've had worse," he said.

She chuckled because he meant that as a joke. Her smile brought back a little of his. Grace, in the form of light, poured from her, her halo, her wings, illuminating the White Room until all the darkness had gone away.

"I sensed your pain," she explained, "and I came. I hope I didn't frighten you."

"You could never frighten me." He inhaled deeply. "I needed to see you."

"It hurts me to see you like this. It's better than to keep it inside... but I would rather you don't do it."

"And then what? I go insane? That would please Miku too much."

"That would make me even sadder." She kissed his hands softly, healing the breaks.

"For an angel, your happiness depends an awful lot on the fate of a beaten up demon like me."

"Ah, I know. Lauviah has told me that I have issues with misunderstanding attachment with love, but she also said that I'll become a better angel with time. I still got a lot to learn."

"I'll miss your visits when that will happen."

"Hopefully you won't need them anymore. Now, will you promise me that you won't go back to hitting walls when I am gone?"

"I promise."

She hummed in content. He didn't want her to leave; she sensed that and stayed a little more, in silence. He closed his eyes and bathed in her radiance.

"That young soul you have with you..." she said. "Kaito, you call him."

"Yes?"

"You're trying to make him into the same thing as you, right?"

He didn't answer. He was suddenly ashamed and scared that he was going to deceive her.

"I don't know how much I should tell you," she continued. "But I got to warn you that you will fail. He will not become another you. You are not Miku, and he's not you. I can see it already: the path he will take will be different than yours." She stroked his cheek. "Although both of your destinies are intertwined for a while."

"Yeah, with the contract."

She laughed. "Actually... oh, I shouldn't tell you more."

"What?" Gakupo rose to look at her face to face. "What is the meaning of this? What's going to happen?"

"Oh, nothing." She kept smiling. "Actually, you'll curse me for daring to laugh at it later, but it's just too funny how nothing is going to go as planned."

"Gumi! Tell me!"

"No, you'll find out soon enough. Now, I believe you have other things to do."

"You can't just tell me that and leave!" He cried.

But it was in vain. With a laugh, she vanished, gone as she had come, slipping between the dimensions with ease as an angel did. He cursed her, but it was impossible to be mad at her. She was an angel.

Right as she left, the panel to the White Room opened and Anya appeared. She gasped when a tiny someone slipped between her legs and ran on all fours to her owner. Tadili hopped on him and hocked her small hands in his hair, determined to not let him out of her sight again.

"I sensed someone," said Anya, looking around hopefully.

"You just missed her," answered Gakupo. He tried to pick Tadili away from him, but she only accepted to move from his hair to his shoulder... where she gripped some locks and his point ear in her tiny fingers with the firm intention of never letting them go.

"Oh," answered the maid. She looked deceived. "I was looking forward to seeing her again."

He got up and patted her on the shoulder. Every demon loved angels. They were drawn to them like a moth to a flame wherever they appeared. The myth that they fought each other was all human projection. They always wanted them to represent good and evil, and from those imaginary notions, they deduced that they must be opposites. This couldn't be further from the truth.

"Maybe next time," he told her.

"It's not fair. You told me that you first liked me because we have the same hair color, I should be entitled to seeing her every time she visits-- Oh seven lords, Master Venomania, *your hands.*"

While it was true that Gumi had healed the breaks, she had done nothing for the gashes he had opened and the bruises. He realized that he was in his monster form and that all four of his hands were covered in blood, as well as a good bit of the walls. He was shocked by the sight himself.

"I'll patch you up," she said, "and then you can go tell Arin what you've got to tell him. He's been sulking ever since you came back from the market, as so has Kaito. And while you are at it, you can tell me what happened, because no one thought it useful to tell me anything at all."

 

"Do you know why I am mad at you, Arin?" said Gakupo.

He certainly felt better. He had bandages all over his fingers, Anya has prepared a batch of fresh cookies and Tadili, that had been given a snack too, would sometimes drop it to hug his face. How he had missed having a kakamora. The moment she had understood that he was her new owner, she had been determined to win his affection by any means and so far she was only too good at it.

Arin, on the other hand, looked like a beaten up dog. Not that Gakupo had hit him, it was just that he hated being caught doing something he wasn't allowed to. They had chosen the living room to talk. The master was on the couch and the butler sat across from him, on a chair from the dining room.

"Well, since you decided to play it all silent with me, I'm going to tell you," said Gakupo. "I've spoken with Matheo, you know, the creature guardian from down our street, and he told me a rumor I, apparently, am the last one to know. According to him, you and Len Kagamine have been having a relationship for quite some time. Am I wrong?"

For a second, Gakupo thought that Arin was going to pretend as if he had not heard him, but he eventually nodded. He admitted.

His master sighed. "Arin, you know that I don't like him. There's a reason why I chose his sister over him for the Bees. Honestly, what do you even like in this brat?"

He shrugged.

"So," continued Gakupo, "you are telling me that if I forbid you from seeing him ever again, you'll be fine with it?"

"No!" cried Arin.

"Aha. Finally some words." Gakupo leaned back against the couch. "So, tell me."

"He's just... well, he knows what he wants."

Gakupo snorted. "So, you are telling me that he ordered you to take off your pants and that made you hard?"

Arin blushed. Oh, seven lords, that had been exactly what had happened. The butler was a top in bed, but he was just so weak for power bottoms, and Len was just that. Gakupo started laughing.

"What?" Asked Arin.

"Now that you say it, it makes sense that you two would be into each other..." Gakupo sighed. "Well then, I think it's decided. I was scared that Len was trying to use you go get into the Bees, or maybe that he was pressured by his sister to seduce--"

"Len would never do that!" cried Arin. "Listen, master Venomania, I'm sorry but you can't tell me how to live my life. Just because you don't get along with Len - just because he won't do as you tell him all the time - doesn't mean that you have to stop me from being with him. I am entirely devoted to your service and that will never change, but..."

"But what?" asked Gakupo in a sing-song voice.

"But your paranoia is ridiculous and if you go on like that you are going to become like Miku."

Arin told him that last line unflinchingly while looking at him straight in the eyes. Gakupo didn't answer right away. He wanted for his servant to waver, to look down, but instead, he stared him down and it amused him even more.

"You have balls to tell me that," said the master. "You are lucky I just so happen to be in a mood where I'll allow it. I was going to say that as long as you don't bring him here more than necessary and that you don't get him pregnant, I can permit you to see him."

Arin's face went from confused, to shocked, to happy. It seemed that he had not expected such a happy outcome.

"But," added Gakupo, "I will not tolerate you becoming a second Rin and try to push him into the Bees. Have I made this clear?"

"Of course sir! You haven't heart about him before, you won't hear me talk about him after." He bowed quickly. "Thank you."

Gakupo waved his hand and scratched Tadili behind the ear. "You're not off the hook. I'll be keeping an eye on this. You better not make me regret me this, Arin. You and Len."


	21. The Pits

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: contains a description of physical abuse. For those that this may affect, please proceed with caution.

Gakupo knew that imps, in general, had a creative streak, so he made sure to have some coloring chalk available for her the night before. He just didn't expect what Tadili would do with them.

She had slept in his bed, still clinging to him, and went for breakfast with him. Kakamora's mouths were surprisingly large for what would expect for their size, but hidden for the most part in their fur. Watching her fit berries the size of her fist in it amused her owner immensely until she was sated, at which point she started to wander away.

She had been gone for ten minutes when she came hopping back to the table and sought to hide on Gakupo's lap. Up on the second floor, Gakupo could hear Kaito pester, and the demon deduced that she must have woken him up and that his pupil had chased her out of his room. He petted her gently to calm her.

Kaito came back down the moment he was dressed. Gakupo, that believed that the world belonged to those that rose with the sun, didn't approve of his habit of sleeping in. He was going to tell him when he looked at his pupil's face and exploded in laughter instead.

Kaito, that wasn't used to be laughed at, sent him a confused look. He didn't realize that the entire side of his face had been colored in by a pair of mischievous little hands while he slept. He looked at his master, then at Anya when she came out of the kitchen and started to laugh too.

"Seven lords, Tadili, you're so sneaky," said Gakupo, picking up his pet to hold her close to his chest.

She looked at Kaito, then at Gakupo praising her, and understood that pranking the pupil was entirely acceptable. She puffed her fur proudly and grinned, displaying two rows of sharp white teeth.

Meanwhile, Kaito realized his state when he rubbed his cheek and his hand came back colored like a rainbow. He sent Tadili a mean look. Gakupo glared at him back. If he dared retaliate for her prank, her master would be sure to make him regret dearly.

Anya, trying her best to stifle her laugh, came over with a wet towel to clean Kaito's face before sitting him down. The latter broke into the food without a word.

"We'll be visiting another place today," said Gakupo.

That earned him a surprised look from Kaito.

"This will be the last trip we have together before a while, as I have a show to prepare for next month and you have yet to start learning Latin. We won't stay there too long."

"Where are we going?" asked his pupil.

"The pits."

There was a clang when Kaito dropped his fork in surprise. "The pits?"

"Yes. Now that you are an apprentice, it is time to see what they are really about. Maybe that will get rid of every reluctance you might have to eat human meat."

Kaito, that had been adding bacon to his bread, suddenly made a face when he remembered what he was eating and switched to fruits. When Tadili saw him take some and put them in his yogurt, she narrowed her eyes at him. Every berry he would eat would be a berry she didn't eat herself.

"Wear your lightest shirt," added Gakupo. "As you might guess, it's quite hot over there.

"Do we have to go there? I'm fine staying here, and you need all the practice you can get..."

"Oh, don't worry, we won't be wasting any time over there. I believe that this trip will be very instructional." Gakupo grinned. "Very, very instructional."

 

The gates were as impressive as ever, and Gakupo, that knew that Kaito would want to take a while to look at them, waited for him each time he stopped without complaining.

To trip with the carriage had been longer than usual because they had needed to get out of Allacard to get to the nearest pit. They had gone traveled through the desolated countryside. The road had then sunk beneath the level of the ground, into the very earth, and the temperature had risen noticeably.

In the human folklore that they called religion, the gate of hell was represented by a gaping maw filled with sharp teeth, always open so that it could devour the unholy. It was partly based on the truth. The first gate was indeed shaped like the maws of a beast, and each tooth was taller than Gakupo in his demon form. Inside the rocky flesh of its cheeks was a stable meant to care for the mounts of visitors. Kaito didn't seem to know what to look at, the high ceilings above him or the rows and rows of strange creatures side by side. The stable master bore some resemblance with Matheo, in the sense that he also had an armored arm and was simply enormous, but he only grunted a few words during the ten minutes that it took them to leave Gakupo's carriage in his care.

The second gate was filled with statues of the damned that seemed to be carved out of the walls and fixed for all eternity in a silent scream. Kaito avoided their gazes and looked at them as little as possible.

But in front of the third gate, he came to a full stop and signed himself in horror. It wasn't a scene like the two others, it was the front of a church. There were the big wooden doors, always open, and the saints, many nameless saints, that started down on the passebys with great pity and nobility from their heights. Over the door was a mural that represented a man in a throne, but his face was blank.

"I heard that it's per the damned's request that this was built," explained Gakupo. "Not that they pass through here when they are sent to the pits, mind you, this passage is entirely meant for demons."

"You mean demons can pass this? But..." he looked up at the man on the throne. "This is God! Aren't you scared of His Image?"

"Stop saying stupid things. What might happen in the world of humans doesn't happen here. Besides, technically, we aren't more scared by the image of our creator than you are."

"Profanity."

Gakupo sighed, but instead of walking over to smack Kaito on the back of his head, he reached inside of his shirt and petted Tadili's head. She batted his hand away and turned around in her pocket, going back to sleep.

"You'll get what I mean when your magic senses will grow a little more," said Gakupo.

"My magic senses? I am going to be able to use magic?" That seemed to be the best news he had heard all day.

Gakupo rolled his eyes. "All demons can use magic. You'll learn how to master yours when it grows. Are we going to move from here or not?"

Kaito nodded and finally followed him through the doors, and into the pit itself.

Gakupo's patience, having been eroded by their numerous previous stops, didn't give Kaito much time to look down at the pits themselves before starting to walk down a path in the wall. Everything here was directly in dark red rock and lit with sulfur flames, that twisted high like dancers as they burned with a bright, blinding light.

They went down. From time to time, a scream could be heard. Gakupo, that lead the way, felt Kaito walk right behind him, seeking any protection that might be available. He certainly needed protection when one knew what came ahead, but it wouldn't be coming from his master as far as he was concerned.

Eventually, they arrived at the end of the path and reached a wide cavern. Kaito gasped and, for the second time, signed himself. This was where the damned were kept.

There were pits, literal pits, that were dug in the ground. That's where the humans were kept, like animals, while the demons moved freely on the overarching stone bridges. And there weren't just demons, but also hellhounds and infernal elementals, made of gas and fire and speaking among themselves with the sounds that volcano made.

"Isn't it dreadful?" said Gakupo. He advanced fearlessly. "Ah, look, Kaito, this is entertaining."

One might hesitate to call human what was in the pit, but it was indeed what they were. Humans, covered in dirt, clad in rags, looked up with empty eyes at the visitors looking down upon them. Some of them bared their teeth and snarled at them like animals.

"Oh God," said Kaito.

Gakupo wracked him on the back of the head.

"What did I do this time?" snapped Kaito, on edge.

"First of all, watch your tone. Second, if you really got to swear, use the name of one of the Lords of Hell."

Kaito, still rubbing the back of his head to sooth the pain, blinked several times, processing that new information. "Who the heck are those?"

"You haven't heard of the Lord of-- Oh seven Lords, he doesn't even know about Your Magnificence."

"Well, I would know if a certain someone cared to tell me about them," said Kaito.

Gakupo looked at him without saying a word, wondering if now was a good time to choke the sass out of his pupil. Luckily for the latter, he decided against it.

"Listen up, because that's important," said the teacher. "There are seven lords in Hell, one for each cardinal sin. They aren't really demons per se, they are entities built up of human prayers and made to torment them. But they are powerful, so, according to our law, we submit to them and obey them. They are generally fun people to serve."

"Wait, what? Back up. Made of human prayers?"

"Yes," snapped Gakupo. By Satan's horns, he had the most ignorant of pupils in all of hell. "We, human, angels and demons, we are three species that live in symbiosis, if one may say so. We each have a different power. The angels have grace, the demons have magic and the humans have prayer. A human on its own is weak, but their thoughts have the capacity to shape the world. Any question so far?"

"Wait, I was a human and I was never capable of shaping the world with my thoughts."

"Not you, on your own, idiot. For example, the fact that humans are sent to hell was created by generations of humans wishing for their enemies to fall to their doom upon their death, for all the bad things they had done. Likewise, those that were forced to give away all they had and live in misery - and Satan knows how much you guys love to make each other miserable - wished for a better place than earth when they died. And so hell and heaven, that used to have nothing to do with humans, became your afterlife because you collectively decided that it was so."

"Wow... So, you are telling me that all those people, all those damned," he gestured towards the pen next to them, "are here because... we made this place?"

"Well you didn't exactly, we did, but we certainly took the liberty to boost construction by using the power of all of your prayers."

"All right..." Kaito looked back at the damn in the pit. "But how did we make the seven Lords? We're always praying so that we don't succumb to sin."

Gakupo snorted. "That's the entire point. You kept believing in them, and so they became true. Of course, it's not all that simple, but I don't want to explain everything to you now. Do you happen to know their names?"

Kaito thought about it. "Isn't... the most powerful of them called Lucifer? Or Satan?"

"Lucifer's the prince, but Satan is indeed the king. They stand for Pride and Anger respectively. My patron, and the Lord that I most directly serve, is Asmodeus, Lord of Lust. He doesn't live too far from Eden Street. You'll certainly see him someday if you stick around. The four others are Beelzebub, Mammon, Belphegor, and Leviathan. I'll make you a list when we get back home so you can learn them by heart."

"Ah... Some of those names are familiar. I never really paid attention to demon names before."

"I guess." Gakupo chuckled and leaned away from the railing. "I bet you didn't expect being sent to hell. Now, let's continue the visit, there are still things you need to see."

They moved away from the pit they had first approached and started to walk through the big cavern. They were met with the same view everywhere. Gakupo explained how certain of them were separated depending on the crimes they had committed so that rightful punishment might be easier to apply.

As they were visiting, Kaito had the occasion to observe the guardians of hell in action. A hole in the wall opened in one of the pens and hellhounds rushed in, barking and screaming. The humans dispersed and ran in every direction, terrified, but some of them were caught and dragged back to the gap in the wall, that was like a maw. Kaito only watched the beginning of it, but then the sight became too much and he asked to be taken away.

"Understandable," said Gakupo. "After all, they are being taken for the chopping."

Kaito didn't ask what was the chopping.

"Don't be so repulsed, my dear," said Gakupo. "Remember that you aren't one of them now. If you were thrown in the pits, you would get fished out eventually. You already started to change. The pits are a common destination for masters and their pupils. Look over there! We're not the only ones."

Indeed, they were two others. The master was easily recognizable with her great black wings and her bright red skin. She would frequently hold her pupil close, stroking his hair to reassure him and kissing him on the lips.

"Ah, that's cute," said Gakupo. "That could have been us if you didn't stab me. Oh, I forgot, you wouldn't be going to hell if you hadn't. That's so sad. Do you ever think about how it would have been to go to heaven, my dear?"

"I don't need your sass," grumbled Kaito.

"Ah, then we will talk about something else." They approached another pen, one filled entirely with men. They rose their eyes to look at the watchers. They looked more like animated things than creatures, their life and reason had been drawn from them a long time ago. "Do you know what is the thing that they hate the most? The damned, that is. Come here, look at them."

Kaito obeyed. That was a mistake. The moment he was within reacher, Gakupo grabbed his neck and lifted him effortlessly, changing into his demon form, and held him over the pit. His pupil's legs kicked in the emptiness. Below him, all of the damned suddenly came to life, screaming and jumping, their hands like claws reaching for Kaito.

"I mean, I think you can already guess what it might be," continued Gakupo, speaking as if they were still calmly talking face to face. "But as today is an instructional day so I'll explain anyway. They understand that us, demons, are their tormentors, they even are vaguely aware that they created this situation for themselves, but they don't hate us. What they hate the most are those that had been chosen to be spared their torment, pupils, people like you. They call you traitors, when they still remember how to speak. Isn't that amusing?"

Kaito produced a terrified squeak; he still had air? Gakupo held him tighter. His pupil's hands shot up to hold on his arm but didn't try to pry him away from his throat. He knew that if he fell he would suffer a worth fate than anything his master could do to him.

"Those men fathered children out of marriage then denied any rights to the mother, shaming her instead of taking the blame," continued to explain Gakupo. "Or at least I think they are. They are tormented in the way they hurt their wives, their mistresses, and their children, slowly, intolerably slowly. Twenty hours every day, their pen gets too hot to stand still, they get cooked alive. They go mad from the pain and the lack of sleep until they can't sleep anymore and they just become mindless monsters. Yet they still recognize you as one of them, a damned, and if they get their hands on you they will tear you apart for all the pain they went through."

"Hey!" suddenly said a female voice. "You are scaring my pupil."

Gakupo turned his head to look at who dared interrupt him. It was the demoness from earlier, the one with the red skin. She was standing in front of the man protectively and staring the Hornet down.

"Tell him to look away," said Gakupo. "I am currently punishing _my_ pupil for daring to try and run away from me when I wasn't looking. He keeps forgetting how good he has it with me."

"Is it really necessary to do that in a public place?" she asked.

Gakupo let go of Kaito.

She screamed, the other pupil cried out in anguish and hid his eyes, and the damned howled as they clawed against the wall of their prison. Kaito was held by his shirt by one of Gakupo's lower hands, wheezing now that his throat was free. He was very pale and so terrified he couldn't say a word.

"I think he learned his lesson," said Gakupo to the demoness. "Yet, I am being generous with how much slack I cut him. My own master would have thrown me in the pit and paid the guardians so that they don't go and fetch me before she wanted me out. She never did because she was working on my body as a commission from my patron and that might have messed up her work but, otherwise, she would have done it."

Horrified, the demoness didn't answer.

Gakupo thought that he might have an interesting conversation with her about the merits of a severe pupil upbringing, but it seemed that she was too intimidated to argue with him. Not that it mattered. He pulled Kaito to the other side of the fence and tossed him on the ground.

"Can you stand?" asked the master.

Kaito tried, failed the first time, but eventually managed to get on his own two feet. He held his chest as if he was hugging himself, to calm his shaking.

"I hope you think about this moment next time you want to do something idiotic," said Gakupo. "We're finished here, let's go home."

They needed to pass close to the two others on their way back. The demoness glared at Gakupo, making no secret of her dislike of his methods. That prompted him to stop and speak to her one last time.

"I don't approve of the way you treat your pupil either, madame. You'll make him soft unless you decide to marry him and protect him forever... never mind, that's probably your intention."

She ignored his words. She grabbed her pupil's hand and pulled him along as she walked away quickly, never to be seen again. Gakupo watched her leave, before placing his hand on the small of Kaito's back and push him along - he only walked with extreme caution now, and seemed scared to come near a pen again.

"Behave," told him Gakupo.

Kaito started to walk faster right after. It was impressive what wonders did the right punishment produce.


	22. Sundown Scene

Unsurprisingly, Kaito was extra careful after the pit incident. A few days turned into a week, and a week turned into two weeks. He did his best to make himself forgotten. Of course, there were still small incidents where Gakupo would react strongly and punish him, generally physically, sometimes by depriving him of dinner, but they all looked the same and hence were forgettable.

It was during that time that Kaito met with what would be his Latin teacher, a stern demoness that would spend her mornings with him and snap at him for every little mistake. Kaito was certain that she had been chosen because she was disagreeable and stressful to work with. He soon started to hate the lessons he had with her with a passion, all the while making dreadfully slow progress when it came to learning the language. The rest of the time, he was quiet and kept to himself, reading or maybe looking outside from the window of his room at the people passing by in the street.

His master, on the other hand, always seemed busy. Sometimes he was already gone by the time Kaito was coming down for breakfast, and sometimes he slept outside the house. He constantly spoke of some big show that was coming up and that he needed to prepare. He still found the time to kiss Kaito on the forehead and coo at him, asking if "my dear pupil" missed him. If the latter answered anything other than yes, he did, very much, he would be slapped so hard he was sometimes projected against a wall and Gakupo would laugh at him.

To top it off, his strange and misplaced case of lust for his master didn't get better. Sometimes, at night, as he tried to sleep, he would dream of a world when Gakupo didn't just tease and mock him for his attraction. Kaito thought about the time where he had been brought back from Cupid Park a lot, how safe he had felt. He longed for that fleeting moment while knowing it would not come back. Yet, they were so many things that he had to fight that he stopped resisting those thoughts, and used them as a way to escape from his gruesome reality.

"Kaito!" called Gakupo from downstairs.

He had escaped to his room for a few moments of peace before his lesson, but he knew that when he was called the better answer right away. It was reluctantly that he moved away from the window and down the stairs.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Kaito," called Gakupo again, waiting that they were standing face to face in the hallway to tell him whatever it was he needed to say. "Ah, you're here. I've gotten a message just now that your Latin teacher won't make it today because of family troubles. You have enough idle time as it goes, so I decided that you would come with me instead, and see a bit of the outside world. It will be good for your instruction."

Last time he had been brought somewhere for his instruction, Kaito had been dangled over a pit filled with damned that wanted to tear off his limbs. He was nothing but suspicious about what the other demon had in store for him this time, but he was hardly in a position to protest. This was one of those moments where he hated his powerlessness more than anything.

"Where will we be going?" he asked.

"To the Red Square. Today is the last rehersal before the premiere tomorrow night, so I'll be performing for some critiques and people of influence. It's time that you saw the center of Allacard, my dear." He smiled. "And maybe you'll catch a glance of someone important, who knows?"

Kaito knew better than to think that asking that would be a good idea, but he did it anyway: "You won't be doing anything to me, right?"

Gakupo's face twisted in a wicked smile and reached out to pull his pupil close. Their height difference wasn't as extreme as when the master chose to don his demonic form, but Kaito still had to crank his head back to look into his face. He didn't move, knowing that it was best that he didn't resist. Gakupo presents, the danger and the allure of him, heightened Kaito's attention with an adrenaline rush.

"Would you want me to do something to you?" purred the demon. "I could if you want to."

"No thank you," said Kaito. "I will be fine without anything."

"Are you sure?" Gakupo stroked the side of his pupil's face. "If you are good enough, I can punish you in a way that's enjoyable."

"I'll still decline."

"Not many in your shoes would. There are some that pay a small fortune for me to punish them. You feel like the type to me. A little more grooming, a bit more training, and you'll be primed to beg for it, my dear."

"I am still quite certain that I do not want that."

Gakupo clicked his tongue, which Kaito had learned sometimes served as his last warning. "You only feel that way because you've never tasted it. You don't even know what it is to be with a man. Don't tell me what you want or don't want. If I auctioned you off your starting bid would be the same as a virgin's because that's what you are in the eyes of demons. I already have some ideas of what might excite you and it wouldn't take me long to discover the rest."

He suddenly removed himself from Kaito, turning away. The latter felt cold and weak as he struggled to regain his composure.

"Of course," continued the master, "that would be if I ever decided to humor you and your desire, and I am no in the mood today. Nothing will happen then unless you do something stupid like disobey me. I'll be too busy, and I haven't been given enough time to think about some way to torment you."

He paused at the door to the living room and looked back, a finger to his lips, to give Kaito a heavy-lidded once over that make the pupil's blood boil. Gakupo knew every single way he could use to torment him.

"But there is something I want you to do, my dear," added the demon. "As we are talking about instruction, it would be good if you set off a little to see the way Arin goes and fetches the carriage. Arin!" he called. "Arin, you will be taking Kaito on your way to see Matheo."

And that was how it was decided that Kaito would be sent on an errand with Arin. The butler barely acknowledged him on their way there, in his usual manner of pretending as if Gakupo had no pupil, and Kaito didn't feel like reminding him of his existence. The more time passed, the more the tension between them became strange, full of things unsaid, and neither of them was willing to put a finger on what was bothering them exactly. So they left it at that.

They went down Eden street. Every house seemed to be a quite luxurious place to be compared to the rest of the town, and, as Kaito had learned, every single one held a courtesan with quite a bit of renown or even sometimes an entire family of them. As it turned out, the street wasn't called Eden for nothing.

"That's the Kagamine's," suddenly said Arin, pointing to a house that was double the length of the others. "Rin and Len's family live there."

Arin said it as if that was important, but Kaito had no idea why it would matter so much that the butler was willing to break their usual silence for that. The pupil nodded gravely, storing away the information just in case.

But, if it was important, it wasn't at the time. They went on their way until they arrived at a quite vast and low building, that sat at the end of Eden street. The smell that came from it gave away its function: this was the stables.

Kaito expected to see Matheo, but it was a demoness that he didn't know that greeted them at the counter. She spoke in Latin to Arin, that answered back in the same fashion, and they both ignored Kaito as if he was a child. They moved towards the stables in the back and he followed them, but as she ordered some stable boy Kaito grew bored and curious and ventured away.

It seems that the mount that was the most preferred in Allacard was the headless horses - the Infequid, as Gakupo had taught him to call them. When Kaito had asked about them further, his master had told him that it was too complicated for him to understand - which probably meant that magic was involved somehow. Not that it changed anything to the unsettling feeling Kaito got when he watched them. He had no idea what had gone through the mind of the ones that had fist preferred those things to horses.

As he moved through the low building, he came upon a mare that was giving birth. There he found Matheo, but the stable master didn't even glance at him, busy as he was with helping the Infequid deliver. He would speak to her quietly, moving his glowing hands over her stomach. The use of magic fascinated Kaito more than the event itself, without it he would have already gone back - a birth was a bit too bloody for his tastes. He stayed, and watched.

There had been vague sensations before, but this was the first time that he felt it this clearly. If he would close his eyes, he would still be able to tell where stood Matheo, yet it was a new sense that had nothing to do with sight. He was starting to understand Gakupo's choice to speak about the smell when he referred to perceiving magical things. Indeed, magic influenced him just like smell did, in a primal and emotional way. Whatever spell Matheo was using, it transfixed him like a moth to a flame.

He was so enraptured that he did not perceive Arin's approach. When he did, it was with a start, like a dog scared of being hit. He turned around and found himself intimately close with the demon.

They both froze. Arin was Kaito's size but larger, stronger, and not just in the physical sense. Kaito's budding perceptions told him of the man's true power, what he hid behind his facade. Too caught by surprise to watch his own thoughts, Kaito felt himself grow excited by the close proximity and leaned in, as if soaking up some of that strength.

Arin let him do, standing perfectly still, and that only encouraged Kaito. The latter came even closer, so close that their cheeks almost touched, and closed his eyes. He wanted to do something but he didn't know what, and he could only stand there, quivering, relishing the fact that for once he was getting away with doing something he wanted.

"You're starting to feel it," whispered Arin after a moment. He moved his head back so that he could look at Kaito in the eyes, but did not step away. When he spoke again, the pupil could feel his breath on his lips. "You're overwhelmed. Watch it that you don't lose control like that around Gakupo or he'll use it."

There was almost concern in his voice when he offered that advice. He moved back and Kaito felt cold, abandoned. He hoped he wasn't growing infatuated with Arin too, he didn't need more madness in his life. As much as falling for the butler would be so much simpler, he knew that Gakupo wouldn't allow that and would only use it to torment him mercilessly. His master liked Kaito's pinning too much to let it go.

"I'm going to have to report to mister Venomania about your sensitivity," continued Arin. "Be warned. He will think of a way to use it against you."

Kaito's head dropped. He sort of enjoyed those new sensations. He didn't want Gakupo to find a way to make him hate them.

"Let's go," said Arin. "The carriage is ready, and he's waiting."

 

"And this is Red Square!" Said Gakupo as he came down from the carriage. He spread his arms wide, presenting the place to Kaito.

The name was mostly due to the fact that this place was in the very center of Allacard's Red Light district and, by definition, the most prestigious spot in town. All the great shows happened here, and all the important people lived nearby. Kaito, that didn't like the idea of meeting more powerful demons, came down from the carriage with great precaution, looking around him like a rabbit released on the fox's land.

Every building around the open space was grand and menacing in the red light of the day. Great old trees were planted at regular intervals. Kaito turned around and was struck with the sight of an imposing mansion, that towered over all the rest and that sat behind high walls to protect it. No one safe for the pupil could be living there, yet he found himself drawn to that place in an almost physical way.

Gakupo noticed his interest and approached him. "That's Asmodeus' house. This whole city was built for him after all, it's only natural that the heart of it should be about him. Pretty impressive, isn't it?"

Kaito nodded, both because he wanted to be agreeable and because be agreed.

"Well then, now that you have seen all this, it's time to go. This way."

Gakupo pushed him along, one hand between Kaito's shoulder blades, towards a building. The pupils tried to decipher its name. Something about a sun?

"Sundown Scene," translated Gakupo, as if he had read his mind - or seen him squint at the writings over the imposing door.

They didn't enter through the main door, but those a little one at the back, after they had gone around and into a little courtyard. There was a guard there that seemed to be keeping watch, but he didn't even ask any question when they passed.

Kaito didn't know what he had expected, but he was certain that he had not been expecting this many people inside. They met with the Bees, of course, all three of them, but also forty to sixty other people, all fussing about, all getting ready or readying others in the backstage. Kaito, that had never assisted to the preparation of a show, guessed that this must be the costumers and the technicians, but then noticed that something close to half of them seemed to be in costume. Then he was lead down a hallway and he spotted a chorus of twenty more people through an open door, singing a song. This impressed him and confused him.

"Are there two shows taking place here?" he asked Gakupo.

This made his master laugh. "What? No? Why would they be two shows the same day in the same theater?"

That was when Kaito realized that what he had thought was just a little affair, four friends on a small scene, was in fact imposing. It was the first time he took the full measure of Gakupo's importance. It felt strange.

A small woman suddenly pounced on Gakupo, rambling in Latin. This seemed to amuse the man, that listened to her and answered her casually. She didn't seem to like how laid-back he was from the way she urged him to hurry and change (Kaito understood that bit from the gestures she made). Gakupo laughed, picked her up and twirled her around effortlessly, making her turn beet red and screech. She swatted him on the head until he put her back down, and chased him to his lodge. Kaito, that had been ignored the entire time, followed, not knowing what else he was supposed to do.

There were even more people in the lodge, waiting for the star of the evening to appear so that he could get ready.

"Kaito, keep her while I change," said Gakupo, pulling a sleepy Tadili from the collar of his coat and putting her in his pupil's hands.

That was the last time Kaito was acknowledged for a while. He managed to find a padded stool in a corner that wasn't needed and sat down, placing the imp on his lap. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he was grateful that he had been given a quiet and simple task to focus on. The crowd and the agitation were intimidating and the last thing he wanted was to accidentally get in someone's way.

He was curious about what sort of preparation Gakupo needed to make but looked away very fast when the latter started to remove all of his clothes. Kaito should have guessed that the type of show he was going to offer would involve that. Had this man any modesty?

Blushing all the way up to the ears, only too aware of his master proximity and nudity, he reported his attention on Tadili. It was the first time he was holding her, and he was surprised by how soft she was. She didn't seem too reassured by all the movement around her and was trying to go back to sleep, curling up on his knees. He didn't really know how to act with her. Either she was pranking him - although they were always light-hearted pranks - either Gakupo was with her. Right now was the first time that he had her all to himself

After a while, she looked up at him with her huge brown eyes, yawned, and tapped on his hand, asking for scratches behind the ears. He did so, very delicately. With her tail, she pulled his other hand until he was covering her body like a blanket. Well, he had to admit that this was sort of cute.

The demoness from before came back in, her tail swishing in annoyance or nervousness, and started to talk to Gakupo, that was reclined back in his chair with two make-up artists painting his face and his chest. He called her Bada and blew her a kiss, interrupting her speech for no reason, and she got even more annoyed. Kaito guesses that she was his manager or manager and that this was their usual banter before a show. It was sort of amusing to watch.

As he sat there, in the corner of Gakupo's lodge, observing the others, he found himself wishing for other circumstances. Life as a demon didn't look this bad after all, maybe someday, when he would be free from Gakupo, he would be able to enjoy it fully.

 

As unlikely as if might seem, he managed to fall asleep. He had nothing else to do but to keep a hand over Tadili and wait, so he laid his head on the wall, and when Gakupo left the lodge he sank into a state of half-consciousness. He listened to the people outside, moving around, the voices that reached him through the door, speaking a language he didn't understand, and imagined what sense they might have.

He was awoken by Tadili slipping out of his hands to explore. She pounced from Kaito's lap to a bowl of fruits for a snack but would look back at him, as if intrigued that she had been given to him. He stretched and come other.

He took a small knife next to the bowl and cut some fruit cubes for her, doing as he has seen Gakupo do. She happily devoured three, before growing disinterested with the rest. She seemed to be in a mood to explore.

"You want to go out?" asked Kaito went she hopped on the door handle.

She bounced on it a couple of times, trying to move it, or maybe to show Kaito. He took that as a yes to his question and opened it for her. She walked away quickly, before stopping in her tracks and started to look through the hairs of her tail nervously, as if looking for flees - something she did when she was scared or nervous. There was almost no one here anymore, and from far away came the sound of an orchestra and a powerful female voice.

Kaito wondered if it was wise for them to wander away from the lodge during a concert, but he couldn't remember Gakupo warning against it. He went to pick up the Kakamora and placed her on his shoulder. She tapped his cheek and pointed with authority to where she wanted him to go, and they both set off on their exploration.


	23. Backstage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been a month. With my exams kicking in full gear, it was hard to find the time and the motivation to write. Sorry about the wait, I am back.
> 
> Also, I just wanted to say that with this chapter the wordcount reached 66641 words. It just feels fitting that I would point that out in a story about demons.

The work that happened in the back of the stage was even more impressive now that the show was on. Kaito quickly learned that it was not a good idea for him to stand in the way when he would be sent dirty looks and hushed away. So much for stealing a glance. He guessed that he would see the performance some other time; it wasn't as if he particularly wanted to see Gakupo's face again.

Tadili seemed a little intimidated by all the people and kept clinging to Kaito's hair. She was still a little shy around strangers. He usually wouldn't want to have her anywhere near him, but at the moment he didn't mind. She wasn't bothering him. In fact, he sort of felt like her protector at the moment and that secretly made him swell with pride.

He had been about to move away from the stage area when his eyes met the ones of a demoness from the Bees, the one with the white hair who's name he didn't know. She smiled at him and beckoned him. He remembered her quite well: last time they had spoken to each other, she had straight up asked him if he felt guilty about his murder... and that had sparked a conversation about stabbing that he would rather forget. He knew better than to ignore the wishes of a demoness though and, despite his reluctance, he approached her.

She stood a little to the side, apparently waiting for her next apparition, and was clad in very scant clothing, as were everyone that seemed to appear on the scene. He had to resist the urge to glance down at her barely covered chest and keep his eyes on her face. Not that, working the job she worked, she would mind if he did but because he still wasn't that comfortable with talking to naked people.

"I see that you are awake," she told him with a gentle smile. "Your hair is ruffled."

Without asking him, she reached out and flattened it. Kaito let her do. Her combing was soft and that was the most gentle someone had touched him in a while... the only other person that would do something similar would be Anya, and even she would sometimes be cold to him out of loyalty to Gakupo.

"I..." he said, embarrassed and blushing. "I don't think that I know your name."

"Oh! It's Irene-Aria," she answered. "But friends call me IA for short. Taking Tadili on a walk?"

"Looking around, mostly. She seems a bit spooked, I think she preferred the lodge."

IA laughed softly and extended her hand to the kakamora. The latter recognized the gesture and hopped on, and when the demoness brought the small creature near her face Tadili hugged it, before extending both her hands out in a bowl shape - something she did to beg for treats.

"Sorry Tadili, I don't have any right now," said IA, patting her bare sides as she would do if she had pockets. She turned her attention to Kaito. "She's so adorable that I got in the habit to always have treats for her. Don't tell Gakupo though, he'll tell me that I am going to make her fat."

"Your secret is safe with me," said Kaito. "If I can avoid talking to him, I will."

"Oh," she said. She seemed at a loss of words for a moment. "By the way, how is life going?"

"Fine, I guess. I'm learning Latin, but it's hard."

"Yeah, English and Latin are pretty different from one another." She smiled briefly but became serious afterwards. "And how about... you know, your relationship with your Gakupo? Is he treating you okay?"

Was that concern? Kaito didn't know what to think of it. "I don't see him a lot, he had been quite busy recently." He thought about it. "I suppose it could be worse."

She shook her head. "Could be worse? That's not something okay to say."

"I'm sorry," said Kaito, slightly frustrated. What else was he supposed to say? It wasn't as if she had done anything to defend him.

"Don't be. I personally disapprove of Gakupo's ways when it comes to you. I don't get how he can be like this, he's usually such a great guy..." She sighed. "Even if it is too late now. You signed the contract, so I guess that you can't go back unless he backs out of it... and I don't think he will."

"Wait, come again." Kaito rose his hand, concerned. "The contract can be broken?"

"Oh, you didn't know that?" She chuckled. "Makes sense that he wouldn't tell you, but he has the power to break it off. Of course, because of the type of magic involved, he's the only one of you two that can do it but it's a possibility. It mostly happens when a demon gives up their pupil for another demon to step up as their teacher."

"And how often does that happen?" asked Kaito eagerly.

"How would I know? Not too often." She blew a puff of air. "I shouldn't have told you that. Please don't get too hopeful that it might happen because there are very few people that would stand up to Gakupo and ask for your custody... I included." She seemed sorry. "I would be the first one to help you if I could, but I really need this job. And you know what they say..."

"Lex Infernum," said Kaito. He had heard the term enough to know that demons loved bringing their damn infernal law whenever they couldn't do something. She talked about saving him and not agreeing with his master, but she was all talk.

"Oh, you've heard this one already," she said. "Well it makes sense-- Oh, I think that it's soon time for me to get back on stage." She nodded towards a couple of dancers that were beckoning her. She nodded took a drink from a pouch of water, before waving at Kaito. "I hope that we get to talk some more soon."

He nodded at her curtly and watched her leave without a word.

It was only later, as Kaito kept lurking around the premises, looking at what there was to look without getting in the way, that he realized that Irène had expressed nothing but sympathy for his condition, and that had annoyed him. The realization came to a shock to him. Sure, she might have been all wind and no action, but that was more than what most people did. Yet he couldn't feel grateful for it, not even if he tried. At most, he felt indifferent about it all.

That did not mean that she was entirely unsympathetic to him. She had a quiet dignity to her and a heart of gold, from what he could tell, which was unexpected (for Kaito, at least) considering her line of work. Of course, her lovely figure was a plus, but he didn't dare admit that to himself. It felt unfair that he would think that after having seen her in her stage costume - not that he knew how he could make it fair, to be honest.

By the time both he and Tadili had grown bored of their exploration and gone back to Gakupo's lodge, he had dropped his musing about AI, which was a shame. Should he had kept questioning himself, he might have understood that what had annoyed him was her pity and that he didn't like taking it because he was too prideful. And then he might have looked at some other of his actions, and then concluded that this same pride, far from servicing him, was making his stay in hell more difficult. In fact, pretty much every single judgment he made on the demons around him was dictated to him by his pride and, of course, they sometimes sensed it in the way he treated them. An outsider might think that Kaito, by pettily clinging of his sense of superiority, was making his life harder, but if they did that they didn't consider that he had been stomped on so many times that he felt that it was all he had, and the last thing that still held his ever weakening self-esteem together. He needed it, or he felt that he might go mad.

But just because he wasn't actively thinking about it didn't mean that he wasn't making steps in the right direction. It turned out that Tadili, after weeks of either pranking him or avoiding him, had decided that he was a cool guy after all. She ate the rest of the fruit that Kaito had cut for her earlier, then went to fetch some of her toys for Kaito to throw. She seemed to enjoy tossing a ball back and forth, even if she was a poor thrower: one time, she even managed to make the ball bounce off the wall and straight on her face. Upon seeing that, he had to laugh, and before he knew it he was picking her up and cooing at her in the same way Gakupo would. The thought made him pause and look around to see if anyone was watching him being nice to the kakamora, before resuming and even giving her a good belly scratch. She still wasn't in the mood to resume playing and kept asking for pets; she eventually fell asleep on his lap once more.

Kaito himself, however, wasn't in the mood to sleep. Far in the distance, he could hear the singing. He always knew when it was Gakupo because when it rose he had chills. No matter how much he despised the man, he regretted not being able to watch the performance because it sounded amazing. He listened to the scraps of songs and sounds that made it all the way to the lodge until the end of the show.

He had been bracing himself to Gakupo's return, but he didn't expect the mood in which he would be when he did come back.

The demon swung the door open as he entered, clad in as little clothes as IA had been, his hair flying behind him with how fast he moved. He threw himself in his chair and propped his feet up on a table with a long, happy sigh. His pupils were wide and he seemed unable to stay in one place for too long: he was buzzing with excitement from the stage.

When he eventually noticed Kaito, that had been watching him quietly, Gakupo made a beeline for him and leaned over him. Kaito suddenly felt small and trapped, yet something inside of him was reacting strongly to his master's proximity. He froze when he looked up and sensed it again, this confused feeling that had assaulted him in the stables when he had stood near Arin. It made him shiver deliciously despite himself.

"And what do we have here?" murmured Gakupo. He stoked a sleeping Tadili in Kaito's lap... but then his hand changed direction to rest on his pupil's midriff. "Looks like both of you behaved quite nicely while I was busy. You even made friends."

Kaito wasn't fairing too well in terms of clarity of the mind. Gakupo was so close that he could feel the demon's power pressing all against him and not even his strongest resolve could stop him from letting his eyes drift down the other's alien yet alluring body. He looked at the patterns of the strips across his chest, hypnotized. Kaito's throat was too dry and constructed for speech, so he just nodded. That certainly picked Gakupo's interest.

"Is something the matter, my dear?" he purred.

"Nothing," managed to mutter Kaito.

A finger under his chin forced him to stare up in Gakupo's eyes when he tried to look away. And then the demon did... something. Something that felt like a wave of heat sensually pressing against Kaito, and it felt good enough that he let out a small whimper. He didn't want to be this weak, he hated it but he couldn't help it, especially when his insides felt like they were about to melt.

"How interesting," said Gakupo. "I was wondering when your energy sense was going to start showing itself. So... you're a moaner. And a sensitive one too." A wide grin stretched his lips. "If you were a courtesan, your price would have just gone up at least fifty Perses. The customers do love someone that can get aroused from the use of magic alone, it gives them the impression that they are good at sex."

"What?" said Kaito

"You can feel my magic when I am standing near you." Gakupo caressed Kaito's lip with his thumb. "Different demons have different reactions when it comes to that, and you are the type that gets sexually excited from it. Or am I wrong?"

"I..." Kaito didn't know what to say. This didn't sound like good news. He recalled Arin's warning, that Gakupo would use this against him. He should have been more careful, but how was he supposed to defend himself against it when it felt so good?

"I am not. Wonderful, my dear. You won't be able to use magic anytime soon, but there are many sensations that await you in the meantime, and I'll be enjoying every single one of them." He stroked the side of his face. "You should see your expression right now, you look like you would be ready to let me do anything I want."

Kaito felt a deep blush creep all the way down to his shoulders. He realized that post-show Gakupo wasn't just excited, he was aroused and needy. The worse part was that Kaito wasn't even sure that he would resist if the other decided to take him right then. The way he was being looked, being touched by his master made him feel weak and helpless in a way he couldn't bring himself to dislike. He had to divert his eyes.

"But not tonight," said Gakupo as he suddenly stepped back. "I'm already booked, and you're too poor anyway. Isn't that too bad?"

Kaito couldn't reply and he didn't want to. He curled around Tadili, seeking reassurance in her small body. She stirred in her sleep and held on a finger with one of her small hands. Gakupo proceeded to ignore him for a while until he had gotten rid of his makeup and his costume and they were going home.

"I'll have a customer tonight," said Gakupo to Kaito once they were back in the carriage. "Stay away from her if you know what's good for you."

 

It was only when he smelled what Anya had prepared for their return that Kaito realized that he was starving. His master and he sat in the kitchen to eat the snack that she had made for them, and despite the fact that it was a sandwich Kaito was more than grateful for the food. He was starting to get used to eating it with his fingers.

Gakupo wolfed down his part and left quickly, talking about getting ready for something. Kaito wondered what his master was up to. Hadn't he done a lot for one day? But the pupil didn't ask Anya for clarification, considering it none of his business. Since the last incident in the lodge, Kaito had made a point to ignore the infuriating scoundrel as much as possible. So far, he was successful, but only because Gakupo seemed to be tremendously amused by his attempts at looking at anywhere but him and had allowed it.

"You should go rest in your room," said Anya when he was done.

"Thank you, but I've slept enough for today. I'll stay here."

She shrugged and went back to cleaning. Kaito watched her. He had grown more attached and interested in her through the weeks and yet kept his distances.

When someone knocked at the door, Anya went to open. Kaito didn't think much of it. The guest had a voice he didn't recognize, so he thought that it must be one of Gakupo's clients - in other words, nothing that concerned him. He guessed that said client had seen the show earlier and had probably booked Gakupo for after. It was just another rich slob with way too much money and willing to spend it on being roughed up for no visible reason. Kaito tended to look down on customers, in his eyes they were the bottom of depravity.

"Good afternoon, Duchess," said Anya in Latin from the other room. She added something about some tea afterward.

There was no reply, just the sound of hooves on the wooden ground as the Duchess moved from the entrance to the dining room. Kaito didn't think much of it at first until he started to realize that it was as if there was a blanket on his perception, and while it had slipped on him almost unnoticed it was getting heavier and heavier. He barely registered when Anya came back in the kitchen to fetch the tray with the tea set she had prepared.

She, on the other hand, spotted his unease immediately. "Are you all right?" she whispered, concerned.

"Is there someone back there?" suddenly said the Duchess in English.

There was the sound of hooves again, and she appeared on the threshold of the kitchen. Kaito thought that Gakupo's presence had been overwhelming, but Gakupo was nothing compared to the effect she had on him. Heat spread all over his body and focused between his legs with an intensity that chased the air out of him. The power she exuded was literally breathtaking and Kaito, in all the sensitivity of his newfound sense, was unable to resist... even if he wanted to. A deep sense of shame overtook him. He was entirely powerless in front of this stranger he had thought beneath him only moments ago.

She was not oblivious to the effect she had on him. She watched him and he watched her back. She was tall and thin, with four horns that panned out around her face and small breast on her broad chest, half-masked in the layers of fur at her collar. Kaito, despite his state, was surprised by her clothes. It was the first time he ever saw a woman with pants, and from the colors and with the cloth she wore it was as if she was following an entirely different fashion than everyone else.

"My my, what do we have here?" she purred, visibly pleased with what she saw. "A little something Gakupo kept all for himself? I see why he would, he's a cutie."

Anya looked at her, then back at Kaito. She seemed about to step between the two of them but didn't react when the Duchess walked closer to him. What could she do anyway? She was no match for the guest.

She was looming over him now. She had a third eye on her forehead and they were all fixated on her prey. Kaito wanted to tell her to stop, to get away from him, but he was too weak and she was so close... it was hard to think. He was cursed.

"You can call me Miss Ollmith," she said as she reached out to stroke his cheek. "And you are?"

"Kaito," he managed to answer. He also wanted to tell her to leave him alone, he was scared and confused, but he didn't have the strength to do so.

"What a lovely name," she said. "You still smell a little human. I take that you must be quite young. Maybe even untouched..."

Kaito didn't like this one bit. He still had the will in him to lean away from her, even if her presence alone was dazzling to him.

Gakupo chose that moment to appear on the kitchen's doorstep, still in his demon form. He cleared his throat and stepped forth, putting on his best customer service face, but that didn't fool Kaito. He knew that the other was angry from his eyes and his body instinctively tensed, knowing that when Gakupo was angry hits would land... usually.

The demon spoke in Latin and Duchess Ollmith finally looked away from Kaito. She laughed and seemed pleased to see him, forgetting her prey and her teasing, or so it seemed at first. At some point, she glanced back with a look that said she was still very interested and didn't catch the brief glare Gakupo sent her then.

But Kaito did. He also noticed the way his master stood in front of him as soon as he could, shielding him from her view, and how he kept attempting to usher her away. She seemed oblivious to it all and eventually followed him out, leaving his pupil alone with Anya.

"What just happened?" she asked Kaito once the others were out of earshot. "You suddenly became boneless and the Duchess looked a shark that had smelled blood.

Kaito leaned forward and rubbed his face with his hands. "Urg," he said. "According to Gakupo, I react to power."

"Oh. You are a..." she paused, then continued in a whisper. "Are you a moaner?"

"He said I was."

"I'm sorry," she told him. "You really are the unluckiest guy I know."

"Is it that bad?"

"Well, it depends." She paused. "But in your case, it is. You are too stuck up to be a moaner."

"What does that even mean?" he asked, slightly annoyed. "I'm not stuck up."

She shrugged. "Whatever you say, Kaito. I told you to go to your room, the Duchess is known for being... touchy. No wonder she serves the Lord of Envy, she can never be satisfied by what she already has. She would have had you if Gakupo had not told her that you were unfit for bedding because untrained."

"The Lord of Envy, huh," said Kaito, thinking back to their interaction now that his mind was clearing. Maybe that explained the pants. "Have you seen the same thing I saw?"

"Her almost pouncing on you? I did."

"No, no..." Kaito shook his head. "I would have sworn that for a moment Gakupo was protecting me from her."

She blinked several times as she processed what he had just said. "He did? I assumed he wasn't happy that you were stealing his thunder. Well, it could *look* like he was standing in front of you... but I doubt it. Excuse me, but why would he care at all?"

Kaito shook his head. "Beats me." And yet, he still had the distinct impression that Gakupo had acted out for his sake.

He was a fool, he told himself. Gakupo didn't care for him. Did he?


	24. Miku in the Dark

Kaito knew that it wouldn't be the last he saw of Miku, from the way she had spoken to him on their first and last encounter, but he had not expected to see the doll that served her knocking on the door of Gakupo's lodge of all place. Yet here she was, and she stared at him with her mismatched eyes and smiled at him. He was so taken aback that he didn't answer at first, he just looked at her, wondering what would be the appropriated reaction to her appearance.

"You seem confused," she said, pensive. "I hope I'm not interrupting."

Kaito shook his head. "Not at all. Erm..." He looked behind him, into the lodge. There was no one there save Tadili, as Gakupo was currently performing the first official evening of the show and Kaito had been left behind to watch her. "Want to come in?"

"Actually, my mistress wishes for you to see the show with her from her lodge," she said.

"Miku? But..." Kaito felt apprehensive. He was very sure that he wasn't allowed to go talk to her.

"Do not worry. She has heard of what Gakupo has done last time and she assures you that this time you will not get caught. Here, put on this."

She passed a necklace with a disk pendant over his head. It was heavy and felt cold, even when he wore it over his clothes. He picked it up and looked at it. It was very simple, made entirely of stone.

"It's obsidian. It blurs the ability for demons to sense energy," she explained. "Like that, he can't find you even if he tried."

Kaito sent her a puzzled look. She chuckled.

"Of course he wouldn't tell you that he's capable of finding you through the link you have as a master and a pupil."

"Oh Satan," softly swore Kaito. "How many things about being a pupil has no one told me?"

"The less you know," she said, "the more he can control you. There is one last thing..."

The doll stepped into the lodge and Kaito let her pass. Tadili, that had been running around making some noise, stopped and looked up at the newcomer, unsure as t whether or not she was going to trust that demon. She quickly threw all her apprehensions away when the demoness produced a small black berry for her. It was just large enough for the kakamora to gobble it in one bite.

"Let us go now," said the doll.

"But..." said Kaito. Tadili as if sensing that he was about to leave, hopped on his shoulder. "Can I take her too?"

The doll smiled kindly. "Put her down. I gave her something that will put her to sleep just long enough that she'll be awake when you come back."

Kaito was shocked that she would do something like that but didn't question it. If there was one person that could help him get out of this messed up situation, it was Gakupo's former master, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity to talk to her again. He had gathered little to no information about her ever since the market incident and was dying of curiosity.

So he put Tadili down and followed the demoness outside the lodge.

He was brought into the hall through a small door through the hall of the theater and up some stairs. At the ticket checkpoint, the doll said two words to the guard and he let them pass.

Miku had reserved a balcony for herself and was sitting in the shadow of some curtain, looking exactly as she had last time Kaito saw her. She didn't react when the pupil was introduced, even as Kaito bowed to her and saluted her as he had been taught to do in the presence of demons of a higher rank. Not knowing what to do after that, he stood there awkwardly, until she signaled him to take a seat in the chair next to her.

From his spot, he could see the stage. He saw the dancers, he saw Rin, wearing a colorful red dress, in their midst, and Gakupo on a throne in his demon form watching the demonstration with a bored expression on his face. And at his feet and all around him, a full room of demons, their hideous shapes half-hidden in the dark, their eyes gleaming with lust. Their presence was like a pressure on his newly discovered sense of magic, but it wasn't insistent enough that he couldn't ignore it. He realized that from where she was seated, behind the curtain, Miku couldn't see the stage. Not that she seemed capable of seeing much with those bands of cloth in front of her eyes.

"Hold this for me," she said, the first words that he heard her speak since he had come to her. Her voice was soft, yet he could hear her over the orchestra.

She handed him something round and slightly squishy. He turned it around and almost dropped it when he realized that it was a blue eye - the doll's blue eye. It even felt warm, as if it was still alive.

"Turn it to the stage," she said. "I want to see my former pupil."

Kaito did just that. There wasn't a sound, then Miku sighed. She sounded almost sad as she did so.

"Ah, there he is," she continued. "I haven't seen him in a while."

That was when Kaito realized several things. First, that the blue eye of the doll-demon was actually Miku's, and that the one he was holding was Miku's as well. This was magic like he had never imagined. There was a time where he would have been terrified and thrown the eye he was holding far from him while crossing himself. He was still pretty shaken now but knew better than to follow his impulses.

"Usually, I ask Daisy to do that for me," said Miku. She waved a hand towards the doll demon, that was standing a few steps behind her. "But I figured that, as you were in the theater yourself, that I could extend some invitation. This balcony is mine until I fall from grace among the powerful demons of Allacard, but I pretend that I never come to see Gakupo's shows. He must not know that I do."

"Won't he figure out eventually?" asked Kaito. "Even if he doesn't see you, he has friends that would - unless you disguise yourself or turn yourself invisible."

"Ah, but he won't ask his friends if they saw me." She leaned back in her chair. "Gakupo is only interested in grand and important things, like himself, his shows, his clients and how to impress them... He lives fast and intensely and will have it no other way. That's why we cannot get along, him and I, and that's why the crowd of Allacard loves him so much. He will never even caress the possibility that I might be here, or that I have stolen his own pupil from his lodge."

"Ah," said Kaito. "Well, it does sound like him. And it won't get better when all his admirers will keep giving him what he needs to feel this way."

"Exactly!" In her sudden enthusiast, she leaned forward, towards him. "So you understand what I mean. Daisy, a drink for my guest. Rudely, I offered him none yet."

A slow sense of pride slowly warmed Kaito's chest. He had to impress Miku. Contrary to Gakupo, he actually wanted to make her proud.

A drink, dark and smelling strong, was brought to him in a crystal glass. Kaito, upon tasting it, couldn't quite decide what it was, but he liked it. It was spiced and with just enough alcohol to warm the palate. He liked it.

"I would advise you to watch the show," said Miku. "Don't let me distract you."

Kaito had questions to ask her, felt like there was so much they could talk about. How was Gakupo like when he was younger? Could she help him? Was there anything he could do to get out? He wanted to ask all those things but, at the same time, she held enough authority over him that he agreed with himself to obey her and watch.

From what he gathered, it was a story about a powerful man that was looking for a wife. Rin was the daughter of his friend and forced to perform for him in order to please her family, Luka a seductive servant that wanted him to fall for her so that she could quit her current lifestyle, and IA was a shy maiden Gakupo met in the woods and desired. It was about temptation, and how Gakupo kept falling for each woman he set his eyes on only to forget her the next. And of course, that temptation included scenes where hands wandered under the scarce clothes and mouthes latched on parts that wouldn't be touched in a human spectacle. There were certainly moments where Kaito looked away as heat coursed through his body, but he would always look back.

"For all of his faults," said Miku, "you have to admit that Gakupo is quite admirable. I would like to say that all of his talents is due to me, but really he's a natural at this."

Kaito nodded, agreeing. Sometimes the performers would dance, sometimes they would sing and sometimes they would act out. There wasn't a moment where Gakupo would leave the scene for rest, like the others, and he did all three admirably. He could raise his foot over his head with his legs in a single line and then sing in a way that made Kaito shudder from head to toe. It was too easy to look at him then and forget every single thing he had done to Kaito since he had come to hell.

Miku gestured Daisy to give Kaito a refill but didn't drink herself.

Kaito held the eye in his hand delicately, that Miku could see too, yet he had the impression that she was paying more attention to him than the show. Not that it mattered long. Soon, all else, the crowd, the balcony, the heat, the hum of magic against his senses, her gaze, gradually blended together in one mass that pressed him on all sides, like a long tunnel, and at the end of that tunnel was Gakupo dancing in glorious bright light. He'd spin between his partners, he'd dance with them, he'd touch them, sing for them, but Kaito had the impression he did all that for him, that he knew he was being watched. And Kaito wanted him... he wanted him with a passion from which all shame had been removed, he wanted his approval, his desire, his body, but also his mind, he wanted is so much that it hurt. It was not love, rather it was a need to possess, to feel whole, and Gakupo was the only one that could save him from the sensation of sinking in endless darkness. Gakupo, so bright when he moved, with the light bouncing off his smooth shell of a skin, was a beacon. What wouldn't he do for him? Kaito would have torn his own heart out with his bare hands to have him.

He never understood the story beyond the second half and it didn't matter anymore. Everything became a scary, black blur yet Kaito wanted to be nowhere else than here forever. But this wasn't to be. The show came to an end. The crowd stood up and applauded furiously. In the dark of Miku's balcony, sheltered by curtains, small hands guided Kaito away from the show and he almost fought back.

"So many demons here made you delirious," said Daisy once they were back in the empty hall. "But you'll be back tomorrow night, and the night after until you have grown strong against it. Miku desires that."

He nodded and held Daisy's hand on the way back to the lodge.

He found Tadili again, and she was fast asleep. He too felt as is he was in a dream, dazzled by everything. Gakupo's perfume clung to everything around him and made him even dizzier. He sat down on the stool that seemed to have become his assigned spot whenever he sat down and rested his head on the cool wall.

When Gakupo came in, it was as if something rammed in the fragile bits of sanity he had managed to scavenge. The only thing that saved him was that he didn't look at his master. Nothing would have stopped him from throwing himself at his feet and start begging then. Beg for him to look at him, to touch him, to take him and possess him. Maybe even to consume him. To have Gakupo eat his flesh and end this miserable agony that was his life. He violently fantasized about it, the images vivid in his mind's eye: there would be guts and gore, and so much blood, but it would be nothing but an end, an end fitting all this pain he felt inside.

Where did all the pain come from, he didn't know.

"My client for the night wants to come back with me in the carriage," said Gakupo when he was ready to leave. "You'll be sitting with Arin in the front.

Kaito nodded and stood up. And then he realized that Miku had been right: Gakupo did not see what state he was in, or maybe he ignored it, too busy with his own splendor, his clients, himself.

Allacard's night air was a blessing for Kaito. His thoughts cleared enough that he felt glad he wasn't going to be in the same cabin as Gakupo on the way back. Arin acknowledged the pupil with a nod of the head when he sat next to the butler. The master came out of the theater moments later, with what seemed to be a demon lord that was similar in ranking to Ollmith; Kaito felt the blow of her power when she passed near him, like wind putting dust in his face. Heat flared up in his crotch but he didn't want it to react at all. He was tired, more tired than he had ever been.

It was all the demons in the room, he thought, they made him confused and suffering. He was simply drunk from being exposed to their magic.

The moment Gakupo and his client were in private, muffled laughs and teasing words could be heard.

"You smell like you were run over by a train," said Arin when they started to move back. He didn't look at Kaito, careful as he was to keep his eyes on the road, but the latter could sense that he was being watched through Arin's extrasensory sense. "It wouldn't usually be my business to ask, but I've never seen you like that before."

"I've escaped the lodge and went to see the show," confessed Kaito.

Arin snorted, and even if he tried to hide it, it was clear that he was amused. "You are an idiot," he muttered. "I hope that will teach you."

"No," said Kaito. "I need to get stronger. Resist."

Arin shrugged. "You are an idiot, but I can't say that I wouldn't want to do the same thing in your shoes. I don't think that he would like it if he knew."

The butler didn't say the name of who he was talking about, but they both knew that he was referring to Gakupo.

"What about Tadili?" asked Arin. "Aren't you supposed to watch her? You'll get punished if anything happens to her."

Kaito thought of the kakamora. She had been sleeping so soundly and peacefully that she had not stirred when Gakupo had scooped her up to take her back. He felt that whatever Miku wanted, Miku got, and if she wanted him to come and watch the show with her she would see that no one would get in the way. Not even Tadili.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry," Kaito said. "She's not too bad to look after."

There was a silence afterward. Arin seemed too occupied to keep talking, but Kaito was wrong on that point: the butler was merely thinking.

"You know, if it weren't for Tadili," said Arin, "I would invite you to come with me. Red Square is way too expensive, but there is a cute little bar with soft boys just ten minutes away from here and I think that it might do you some good."

"Soft boys?" repeated Kaito, confused. "As in..."

"Yes, they do entertain the patrons. Aren't you into both?"

"I... well, I don't quite know." Kaito blushed deeply. He was, he just didn't know how to admit it.

"You certainly like Anya. And mister Venomania." Arin leaned in. "Maybe even me a little, but I scare you, don't you?"

"Don't you have Len already?" blurted out Kaito. "What would it matter to you? And why do you even go to bars to see some other men?"

Arin chuckled. "So, Len would have the right to see other men every day and not I? How is that fair? But that wasn't the subject of our conversation."

"I would decline. I don't visit whores."

"I think that's exactly why you should come with me." Arin's voice became lower, darker. "Too damn uptight for a demon. You sound like Miku sometimes."

"Well, maybe she would be a better master for me than Venomania," spat Kaito.

"Oh, you... beware what you wish for." Arin shook his head. "Miku is no one's friend, not even her own. Either you are of use to her, either she lets you die on the side of the road with your throat slit open, just like she did with her family."

Kaito frowned. "Her... human family?"

"From what I heard, yes. She killed them all then killed herself near an ant's nest, so that her body may be of service to them. There is, to this day, no indication that she isn't just as bat-shit crazy."

Lies, thought Kaito to himself. Wretched lies. They all hate her, why should he believe what they said about her?

"We're here," said Arin as he pulled the horses to a stop.

Eight Eden Street again. Kaito's very own slice of hell.

"Stay here with me, wait that they move inside," said Arin. "After hearing about what happened last night, better safe than sorry."

Kaito was mad at Arin, but at the same time he was mad at everyone save Miku, so he stayed sitting there in silence as Gakupo and his client got inside, and even waited some more afterward. Anya fed him a sandwich before sending him to bed and sleep, thankfully, dragged him under a dreamless cloak until dawn.


	25. Lucidity

Of course, the other nights were no different. The moment he was alone, Kaito was invited to Miku's lodge to see the show with her.

Miku was not a woman of many words, Kaito found, but he learned not to mind it. When he was with her he felt safe from all of hell's madness, protected in the darkness of her balcony. Sometimes she would tell him a few words during the show and leave it at that. Daisy would serve him the dark drink, and when Kaito would ask her what it was, she would answer that it was wine.

He truly did his best to keep himself from being overwhelmed, but he always failed. At first, he was lucid, but then he could feel his judgment leave him slowly. In times such as this one, he would desire Gakupo again, with no restraint and with that painful, burning passion he knew so well. When such a thing happened, he knew that all he had to do was wait that the effect wore off.

Until they didn't.

It was after the third night that he realized that his feelings for Gakupo himself were starting to change irrevocably. It was not uncommon for him to become half-hard when his master was in the same room and so he avoided such situations swiftly, not wanting something embarrassing to happen. To think that the other would find about Kaito's predicament and might exploit it...

Not that Gakupo seemed to have enough energy to care about such things. Dancing all night then entertaining until morning was starting to take its toll on him. He was pale and lethargic until he was in costume and remained invisible for most of the day as he tried to regain some of his lost rest. Even Anya and Arin were solely focused on him, ensuring that he had everything he needed to get through the day without kneeling over, and there wasn't one of them with the time to notice and inquire about Kaito's odd behavior.

Maybe it would have been best if they had. Kaito had heard about fans growing infatuated over their idol and had never thought that this would be the case for him, but he was only getting worth as time went by. Soon he could think of nothing but Gakupo looking at him... touching him even, doing whatever he might want to do with him. It plagued his dreams and obsessed him during every waking moment. It was intolerable.

There were rare moments of lucidity.

The night before the last show, as he laid wide awake in his bed, was one of those, or so he thought when he was because he was still obsessed as he always was. He knew that it simply couldn't go on like that. He had to try something... and he knew what it was.

"You are insane, Kaito," he told himself. "Totally insane. It will never work."

That night, his dream was like all the others he seemed to have lately: feverish. He was trapped in a gigantic web in the dark. He could see the carcasses of unidentifiable others hanging along with him, but he couldn't possibly get away, bound tightly as he was. When a giant mutant spider came to loom over him, he found that he couldn't wake up even when it bared its fangs and sank them in him. It had two heads, and the eyes of the second one were all blue, blue like the air high in the sky, and so cold, so pure.

"I need to get out of this," he said when he was finally awake, and convinced that his room wasn't a dream within a dream. "One way, Kaito, one way."

It was but the early hours of the morning, but he stood up and padded over to the window. The state he was in was the strangest he had experienced so far, and that was saying a lot considering the loops he had been thrown through for the past month. It was lucidity, but not a lucidity of the thought. For the first time, he perceived a looming gaze on him, looming like the spider in his dream and couldn't possibly understand who could be posing such a threat. He also felt as if he was staring down a long dark hallway, and that this hallway was his future. Such an idea terrified him yet he couldn't call it a delusion and chase it, it came back always.

Should he have been free to go, he would have left the house for a midnight stroll. Instead, all he had was his room and his window, so he opened the latter. He couldn't even lean out because of the bars. They were there to prevent thieves from entering rather than stop him from escaping but he resented them nevertheless, especially in those moments where he longed to leave. He was still glad for the cool of the air and the stars; the nights in Allacard had the most extraordinary sky, full of striking blotches ranging from bright yellow to deep purples but mostly full of rich reds. It was beautiful and chaotic and one of the rare things he genuinely liked about hell.

"I'm lost," he told the stars. He felt as if they listened, like when he was a small boy and spoke to the man in the moon. "I'm lost."

Of course they didn't answer. And Kaito didn't feel any better for having told them anything, so he went back to bed. As he laid there, all he could see was Gakupo dancing again, so beautiful, so painfully unattainable. Kaito gave in. He imagined his master dancing for him as they were alone, but no matter how hard he tried Gakupo would always escape between his very fingers when he tried to grasp him, like water... and as alluringly as water for a thirsty man.

That's how sleep took him one last time, the night before Gakupo's final show.

 

Gakupo was exhausted beyond measure. A normal occurrence, really, considering that he barely had any time to rest in the last six days and everything required the greatest of focus when he was awake. It wasn't so much the physical exercise, it was the clients. Every single one was extremely wealthy, that they might be allowed to book a night with him right after he became the most desired demon of all of Allacard. The whole point of the show was to tease the desire of those elected few, that had fought tooth and nail for that spot in an auction before the presentations had even started. This meant that Gakupo wasn't to deny any requests... and most, if not all, had wanted to be powerless and full under him. Eating enough to regenerate his eggs than actually making them had proven to be the most taxing. He knew that he would be missing a good chunk of weight after this week even with the amount of food he wolfed down - he ate so much that sometimes he felt as if he was going to give it all right back, but he couldn't afford anything else.

All in all, while he had noticed that something was definitely amiss with Kaito, he simply didn't have the energy to investigate. Gakupo let him do his weird whatever-murderers-did-in-their-free-time as long as he didn't get in the way, and so far his pupil had threaded carefully enough that he had remained slap-free. It seemed to be an unspoken but mutually beneficial agreement.

Or so Gakupo had thought. Little did he know that he really should have been more careful with Kaito, but he only realized that in retrospective, and even then there was no way he could have understood all that was at stake, for he knew nothing of the one that was pulling the strings behind all of it.

This was the last time, he thought to himself as he entered his lodge. He still felt the buzz that came with the scene, the addictive feeling of being watched by an entire room as he did what he had been prepared for his entire demon life. Asmodeus had been right when he had taken him: Gakupo was a natural-born performer, he lived for the show and would die happy if he did so with a bang. No amount of exhaustion could take that away from him; what he dreaded was the fact that his last client was waiting for him, and that he would have to entertain him with the largest smile all night.

Kaito was the only one waiting for him in the lodge, but Gakupo barely spared him a glance before taking a seat with a long sigh. Blast how comfortable it was, he wanted nothing but sleep. His costumer and his makeup artist would be here in a moment for adjustments and would wake him up if needed; he allowed himself to rest his head and close his eyes for a moment.

They shot open when he felt a soft touch to his scalp.

Kaito was leaning over him and his expression was nothing but pure, unadulterated lust. There was no denying it from the way his lips parted and his pupils were so dilated they engulfed almost all of the blue.

Gakupo had seen too much of this. He recoiled inwardly and almost yanked himself away from Kaito's touch when something even more unexpected happened: Kaito kissed him.

Gakupo barely had the time to feel that his pupil's lips were soft before he slapped him hard across the face. He had not even thought about it before reacting. This was the straw that broke his last bit of patience, he was just too tired to comply with all that was asked for in that kiss. Kaito stumbled back and Gakupo got up on his feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" he growled angrily.

Kaito looked up at him, lost. "I didn't know what else to do. I love you."

Gakupo snorted. He had heard that line many, many times in his courtesan's career and he knew well what it really was about. At any other moment, he would have started to hit Kaito to make him take those empty words back but his limbs were too heavy for that and he needed to save every last bit of energy. So instead he resorted to mean words, and those came out harsher than how he intended them to be.

"Don't you tell me those gross words," he said. "You don't love me, you just lust after me. Hah! Look at you now, you are no better than the women I trapped in my harem. You expect me to love you back? When you don't have a single Perse to your name?"

"So it's all about money for you?" asked Kaito.

"What else? There is nothing remotely interesting about you."

Gakupo looked into Kaito's face and saw that there was something that wasn't right with him. He had noticed such a thing recently, but it was the first time that it appeared to him so clearly. He could smell it in Kaito's aura too. It was like all the lightness had been sucked out of him and replaced by sticky black tar. That wasn't the aura of someone that was in love, not the least. Was he starting to crack, after all Gakupo had put him through?

"But I love you," said Kaito.

"No, you don't." Gakupo took a step in his direction. He loomed over his frail pupil, yet the latter didn't even back away.

"I know it," said the other, "I've been thinking about nothing but you for the past seven days. The way you dance, the way you sing... you bewitched me."

Gakupo laughed. "You are rambling like a madman. You sound no different than thousands I've heard before."

Kaito suddenly passed his arms around Gakupo's thin waist, holding him tight. He was greeted with an elbow to the face. There was a crack, and blood splattered on both of them, but Kaito still didn't let go.

Just because Gakupo was tired didn't mean he didn't have any strength left. He grabbed Kaito by the shoulder and squeezed in a way he knew hurt, and felt the articulation come undone under the skin. Kaito cried out and let go. The moment he did so Gakupo delivered a kick to his side and sent him flying like he weighed nothing. Kaito tried to stand, but he was hit back down, and then hit again, and again, until he laid on the ground bleeding and unmoving. But he was still conscious.

Others had come, hearing the sound of their fight, and were standing at the door of the lodge. It was for them, to explain the situation, that Gakupo said:

"Never will I love you back, you fool. I'd rather kill you if I could."

Kaito, face down on the ground, nodded slowly. Good. He seemed to have understood his lesson.

Gakupo turned away and proceeded to ignore the poor sap. He did feel sort of sorry for him but he would never voice such a thing. They were enemies, sworn so, and even if Kaito seemed to have forgotten that Gakupo never did.

The moment he seemed to be free, his costumer approached and started to fuss about the blood on his outfit. Gakupo let him do, too tired to even protest. His agent Baedia came in next to congratulate him, and when she heard about what Kaito did she sent him a death glare. Everyone was on his side, thought Gakupo as he passively went through his makeup retouches for the night. There was no reason for him to feel bad about the curled up demon in the corner of the room, he was only getting what he deserved for kissing what he was not allowed to kiss.

Yet he couldn't stop himself from feeling that this wasn't quite right. Gakupo forced himself to think of something else, and it was made even easier when Kaito crawled out of the lodge. Good riddance, and may he stay out of the way for the rest of the night.

There was no incident until it was time to leave. The client was already waiting outside when Gakupo realized that something crucial was missing. He looked around the lodge but didn't see it.

"Tadili?" he muttered. Then louder: "Where is Tadili?"

"Is something the matter?" Asked Baedia.

"Tadili?" repeated Gakupo. "Where is she?"

His agent looked around with a face that said that she was sure that Gakupo had just missed her because he was tired. He saw that certainty draw away from her face and it was like ice was injected in his gut. That was the moment he knew that something was wrong.

"Tadili?" he called louder. He moved into the lodge and pushed things she might use to hide, checking if she was behind them, not to avail. "Tadili! Where are you?"

Baedia was quick to spread the word that Gakupo was looking for his kakamora. Everyone knew how much the star of the show loved his pet, so it didn't take long for them to figure out that whoever would find her would be hailed as a hero. Soon, quite a few demons were overturning the place in search of the little black fluff, yet she remained unfindable.

"Kaito." Gakupo turned to Baedia. "He was supposed to watch after her."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Weren't you beating him up moments ago because he kissed you?" she said.

Gakupo felt himself pale and grow weak. He sat down quickly so he wouldn't fall. Kaito wouldn't hurt Tadili. He knew, better than anyone, that he would suffer if he touched her. If he did, Gakupo would throw him in the pits with his guts out, he would tear off his eyes, he would...

"Gakupo, you need to find him," said Baedia. "Don't despair on me, you are his master, aren't you?"

His head snapped up. That was true. He closed his eyes and focused on the link they shared, the place inside of him where he could feel his connection to his pupil...

The sensation came back muddled.

A wave of cold dread washed over Gakupo, and he was glad that he was already seated. Blurring his tracks wasn't something that Kaito could accomplish on his own. This reminded him so much of the time where Miku was his master that he was persuaded that she was the one that had orchestrated the whole thing, but for what?

"You look pale," said Baedia. "Where is Kaito?"

Gakupo stood up. "Gone. Someone took him."

She blinked once, twice, before understanding settled on her features. She got who he was talking about for having heard enough about Miku, she knew what this was about now.

"She could still be around. I can send the bouncers after her, or Arin..."

He rose his hand to stop her. "It's no use. She's gone."

"But..."

"She wants something." Despite his state, Gakupo's mind was clear. He knew her so well, once upon a time his sanity had depended on it. "She has Kaito, and most likely Tadili... She wants something from me. And if I don't give it to her, she'll hurt her then. Not before."

"And Kaito?"

"I wouldn't care if she did." Maybe, said a voice inside him. "In fact, she would serve my own plans if she did, so I don't think that she will even threaten him."

"But then, what does she want with him?"

"What does she even want with me?" replied Gakupo. He was mad, but not against his agent. "We are done for. I'm living my life as I intend to and her dept to Asmodeus is paid in full. She didn't even come to the dinner where I made Kaito my pupil and now she is taking him from me? Good riddance. May they have fun together in their own corner - I just want Tadili back."

He felt his voice crack on the last word. Demons were coming to the door of the lodge to check on Gakupo, having heard that something was going on; they started to back away the moment they saw him slump and put his face in his hands. He heard their whispers and felt their gazes on him, but he was too damn tired to care.

"She could be anywhere," said Baedia, patting his back. "Just because Kaito disappears at the same time doesn't mean that they are together..."

"But she wasn't there when I came back, or I would have noticed if Kaito left with her." He drew in a deep breath and straightened himself. A little bit of dignity went a long way. "She must have been taken before. How or why isn't important, this reeks of her way of handling stuff. I need to go and speak to her--"

Right at that moment, Arin emerged from the crowd, looking mildly concerned. "Master Venomania?" The Marquess is waiting. I think that he is getting impatient."

Gakupo didn't even think twice about it. "Tell him that his night will be reimbursed to him in full. I can't do it."

"Gakupo Venomania!" cried Baedia. "That's not possible. No matter how much you care for her, you can't drop a night with the Marquess."

"He can have my costume, and slap it on another that looks like me." Gakupo stood up. "That clone of me from Bathdown street surely might suit his taste. As for me, I need to go to Miku and ask her what is the meaning of this."

"Don't you see?" His agent stood in his way when Gakupo took a step towards the door. "Acting rashly like that would only serve her plans if anything. Get a hold of yourself! That's what you were trained for, weren't you?"

Gakupo looked at her, blond and small, fragile enough that he could rip her in two if he wanted - and he would do so without a shred of remorse. "You are right. I was trained for this sort of situation."

She seemed relieved. "See? You've done this before. The wisest is to wait for tomorrow, and then think of the next action you might want to take. Focus on one thing at a time. I know you are tired..."

Gakupo started to laugh, and laugh, and laugh, but it was without joy. Or almost. The irony of it all was quite striking.

"Aye, yes, I was trained for that," he said bitterly. "The whole reason I wanted a kakamora again was that Miku had given one to me when I was her pupil. That's where I learned how sweet they were. And then she tore him to shreds in front of my eyes and told me that if I didn't go and satisfy my next client properly, she would take my limbs away and have me gangbanged by her guards."

He heard Beadia gasp lightly, along with a few others in the hallway. Arin only looked sorry. He already knew the story.

"Well then, Arin," said Gakupo, "why don't you tell the Marquess that I will be there in a moment? I just need to put my coat. In fact, the show is over. Everybody out. Out, I said!"

He had to shove Beadia through the door for her to move fast enough for his tastes, then slammed the door. He was finally alone - even if it wouldn't be long, he was relieved.

He looked at himself in the mirror and tried on a smile. Perfect. His makeup hid the dark rings under his eyes too, which was even better. Holding through the evening was now entirely up to him, and he knew that he wouldn't mess up because smiling was what he did best. Back on that day where Miku had killed his first pet, it had not wavered in front of his client, not even once.

After all, the Marquess could afford Gakupo's love.


	26. The Woman that Had it All

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know, I am slower to update. I might keep a similar pace in the future, or it might get faster again, I don't know. I'm tired and there have been things happening IRL that make me uncomfortable with spending long periods of time writing. But I will not drop this story, it will just take some more time to get done. 
> 
> On a more positive note, I'm actually excited to be finished with this story ark. I debated cutting the fanfic here and opening a second installment but I figured that it was best if I stuck to my original plan - especially since I have barely gone through some of the most intresting tags.

Gakupo was wide awake when the Marquess left his bed in the morning but didn't have the strength to move. He didn't have the strength to do anything yet he knew that this wasn't the time to remain idle. Tadili would snuggle up to him when he was done for the night and he had missed her. With work done, there was nothing to take her off his mind.

He was certain that Kaito had something to do with it all and he could have torn his guts out if he would have found himself facing the man. The idiot didn't even know what he had taken away from his master... but he would make him understand how bad of a mistake he had made.

And what could Miku possibly want more from him? She had taken everything... absolutely everything from him, for years on end; she had gorged herself with everything he could offer. That's why she could obsess him so easily: he had been trained to do since his murder. In fact, if he was entirely honest with himself, he knew that Kaito was but a distraction from the unbearable hate he harbored for her. It was easier to pick on someone that was weaker than himself than go after the one that had made y everything he was today... that had made this Gakupo-self that he adored from the ground up.

He felt like a mess.

It seemed to him that he had not slept one bit when Anya came to him in the morning with Miku's much-expected letter. Usually, he would sleep in after the last show of a busy week and she knew that, but she also knew that he would want to know if a messenger from his former master had arrived.

_Dear Venomania,_

_As you may have noticed, I have taken a couple of things that were precious to you and would like to meet you today to discuss of their fate._

_M_

Two things? Did she mean Kaito? That certainly wasn't the case, but that rose a flag for him and he started to get ideas as to what was Miku's true aim. The question was, what would she do to make Gakupo forget his pride and give her what she wanted? And why even bother with that idiot?

But such questions would find their answer later, and the sooner he got ready the sooner this later would come.

So he got out of bed and got dressed painstakingly slowly. His limbs, always so swift and graceful when he moved, felt heavy and clunky. And he was a mess... he felt like one when he finally got in his carriage, a dirty, tired mess. This day wasn't going to be a good day.

For someone that didn't like the way demons living in decadence and that had expressed such a thing on multiple occasions, Miku had chosen an odd house to buy: it was but a few streets away from Red Square. At least it had the merit of looking tall and severe, all white as it was, but no one could really take the haughty air of its windows seriously when the house next door was a brothel - and a quite famous one at that.

Gakupo knew why she would choose a location: for all the criticism she was known to address to the demons around her, she couldn't stand not being in the know. The place was prestigious so she needed it, the flair it had was impressive so she needed to appropriate it for herself. To think that she would have it any other way was being deluded about what sort of person she was.

Of course, Kaito would fall for her tricks, thought Gakupo. Miku was a smart woman, she knew how to speak the language of naive people, and who else but Kaito was stupid enough to believe some random demon he met in some shady carriage?

He sighed before moving his heavy bones into the house. He knew that he would be hungry if he wasn't so tired. If it wasn't for Tadili, he would have left Kaito all alone in Miku's claws for a week before taking care of him. He might be his master, but if this cretin was stupid enough to go on his own then he should pay the consequences.

That last thought made Gakupo think back to the other time where Kaito had run off and almost paid the consequences for it. The courtesan could still see him laying on the grass of Cupid's pack, looking back at him, begging him with his eyes to come and save him. Gakupo still didn't know why he had done it, really, and he hadn't thought about it since. He still didn't feel like dwelling on it, so he didn't and knocked at the door.

Miku's obnoxiously demure handmaid Daisy came to open for him, looking just as fake as she always did with her one natural eye and Miku's eye forced into her second socket. She had been like that ever since he had known her and that had been when he had first become a demon - it felt like forever. She knew him well - even a little too well, it seemed, as she had seen what he looked like with his ribcage open - yet pretended to lower her eyes and look shy. He didn't fall for her act.

"Where is your mistress?" he asked.

"She's waiting for you," she said. "Please step inside. Let me take your coat?"

He passed the door and shred his coat unceremoniously, making her scurry to catch it. Good for her: if she would have let it touch the ground he might have slapped her. Miku would have known of it right away though her eye and while he wished he could hit the real thing it was better than nothing.

"This way," she said as she led him down a hallway, then down some stairs.

This wasn't the underground in which he had been perfected, as Miku happened to prefer doing that in her countryside house, but he couldn't help but feel subtle shudders run down his spine as memories assaulted him. The room, while comfortably furnished with seats and a table, was obviously without windows. Instead, Miku had installed quite a few mirrors all around the walls, that the dim light of the few candles she allowed might be reflected a thousand times all around them.

She had changed her fashion since he had first known her, obviously growing enamored with white. He'd think her ugly in any attire, honestly, having seen the true colors of her soul. Demons might not care for the concept of good and evil, but they did acknowledge when someone was messed up in their head. That's all he could see when he looked at her, seated as she was in her chair opposite to the entrance of the room: an ugly, lying monstrosity.

And yet, without her he was nothing.

Daisy pulled a seat for him. He didn't sit.

"Where is Tadili?" he asked.

Miku waved a hand dismissively. Or at least that's what he thought until he understood that it was a signal for Daisy to stop tending to him and go fetch a box in a nearby room. The entire time where she was out of sight, Gakupo stared down Miku and she probably did the same from wherever her second eye was hiding.

The kakamora, sensing that her master was nearby, squeaked weakly from within her prison the moment she was in the same room. Gakupo was a hair away from pouncing on the servant and tearing the box from her hands, but he knew that he would be stopped before getting halfway there. But he flinched and hated himself for it. He wished he was stronger, that he might be able to protect what he cared for from the person he hated the most in the world.

"What do you want?" he spat.

"Sit," she said.

He obeyed by letting himself fall loudly on the chair. Petty, yes, but he knew that this was the sort of things that got on Miku's nerves the most: people rebelling against her in ways that were small enough that fighting against them was ridiculous.

"Give her back," he said.

"No," she answered.

She smiled at him softly. He felt his stomach drop because he knew that smile well.

Daisy opened the box and Miku reached inside. Tadili gave out a small yelp when she was held up by the neck, her small hands trying their best to pry away the demoness' merciless fingers. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, every single one of her hairs stood on end.

Gakupo had seen such a scene before.

"No!" he cried. He took a step without intending it.

Miku's hand suddenly changed. No longer was it a human limb choking the kakamora, but a bundle of bright blue tentacles that knotted even tighter around her.

"Come any closer and I'll pop her head off."

Gakupo knew she would do it. Miku had both the capacity and the will to crush the small neck clean and he knew it because he had seen her do it before. This stilled his feet but not his hands, that started to shake violently. He wouldn't scream, he told himself, he was beyond showing this sort of weakness. She would only enjoy it anyway.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Nothing," she replied.

She almost looked bored as she swung Tadili lightly. The small creature was not making a sound now and her hands were still gripping on the knots around her neck desperately. Her eyes were wide and fixed upon Gakupo, begging him for help and her chest struggled to rise.

"Miku, please." Gakupo's voice cracked with the last word.

"I never really liked you, darling," she said in that patronizing tone she had used so many times. "Not one bit. I don't see why you should be allowed anything that makes you happy."

"There must be something you want." He needed to think fast. "Is that about Kaito?"

"Kaito?" She feinted surprise - poorly. "What would Kaito have to do with any of this?"

"You want him." Gakupo's eyes went from Miku's face to Tadili's. "Just give her back and I'll sign whatever contract you want me to sign to hand him over."

"And why would I want your pupil, Gakupo?"

"Well..." he passed a tongue over his lips. What would a crazy psycho bitch like Miku see in Kaito? "You share views." Maybe.

"Ah... that's true. He would make for an interesting companion for conversations..."

"Conversations about how you despise other demons," completed Gakupo.

"Why, I wouldn't quite put it like that..."

Tadili went limp in her grip and Gakupo's heart jumped into his throat.

"I'll sign anything," he said quickly.

Miku didn't say anything but Daisy was suddenly by his side, rolling open a contract parchment. Gakupo barely glanced at it long enough to verify that it was indeed a contract that made him forfeit his relationship with Kaito as a mentor.

He signed.

"You aren't going to read the terms, darling?" asked Miku.

"Give her back."

"It's a she?" Miku dropped the small black body on the table. "Well, I should have known. You always had a penchant for buying women like they were objects."

He didn't care if that meant coming close to his nemesis: Gakupo rushed to pick Tadili up and held her close to her chest as he backed away. She was limp and unresponsive. He didn't know what he would do if she was dead, and he would never know: she breathed while her tiny pulse fluttered against his fingertips.

Miku smiled at him. She certainly enjoyed her games.

He was done with the whole thing. He turned away to leave but he found that Daisy was standing in his way back up, smiling at him. Oh, by Satan's horns, she wasn't done with him yet?

"Not one question about what I will do to your student, Gakupo?" asked Miku. "Well, how heartless of you. I thought that you didn't trust me, so why would you trust someone so precious to me?"

He stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. "I don't care for Kaito."

"Do you really, now?" asked Miku. Her hand, back to normal, slipped under her chin to support her head. "So that means you didn't like the little surprise he gave you last night?"

Gakupo turned around fully. "A surprise? What are you talking about?"

"Oh... the poor thing. Is that how you treat his confession? One day passes by, and you already forget it? No wonder Kaito cried the whole night. You are heartless, Gakupo."

He snorted at the irony of her statement. It was the raven complaining about how black the crow was.

"And it even makes you laugh," she continued. She looked truly sorry for Kaito, but he knew better than that. "I might have thought that there was still hope for you before this, but now I am just regretting all the efforts I put into it..."

That caught his attention. "You have something to do with this."

She smiled.

"You do, don't you?" he asked, but he was certain.

"It took you this long to realize it, didn't it?" she asked.

"You gave him something."

"You make it sounds like I drugged him."

"Haven't you? Then what do you call giving something to someone that won't make them act as they aren't themselves?"

"I like to think of it as a nudge in the right direction."

Gakupo narrowed his eyes. He went over Kaito's behavior in the last week. He had been acting oddly prior to last night and his former master saw it clearly, in retrospection. The way he would look down and remain quiet, only to follow him around the house when he thought that Gakupo wasn't paying attention (Kaito failed to realize just how sharp his ears were, even after they had been living together for almost a month). The way he acted and didn't act, the way he was too quiet even for Kaito, or too shy. So all that had been Miku's fault? He cursed himself for thinking that time would sort whatever issues his pupil was going through instead of confronting him. Not that he cared about the idiot, but he did care for Tadili and he would have given a lot for her to avoid what she had just gone through.

"You haven't said anything for a while now," said Miku. "Looks like you are finally realizing that you could have avoided all that."

"What did you give him, Miku?" he asked.

"You know how you could have avoided it, don't you? All you needed to do was to return his feelings. But you didn't. Alas, to refuse something so pure as a young demon's feelings... As I said, heartless."

"Miku, answer my question."

She leaned back in her chair, a small smirk on her lips. Lucifer did he hate when she was withdrawing information like that. All he wanted was to get out of there yet he knew that there was going to be a catch, that he needed to hear the last thing she was keeping away from him. She would have spat it right out if it wasn't important. Instead, she sat there, looking like a cat that had eaten the mouse.

"Why don't you sit down, darling?" she asked. "Surely standing there can't be comfortable."

Gakupo obeyed her with caution. Against his chest, Tadili was starting to stir, to his greatest relief.

"Now will you finally tell me what you did to him?" asked Gakupo.

"That's funny, I swore I heard you say that you didn't care for him the least just moments ago. I wonder why you are so interested in him now? It seems strange that you would suddenly change your affections like that."

"Just..." Gakupo sighed. "He could roll over and die that I wouldn't care. I'm more concerned about the ways you are going to use him to make my life a living hell."

"Oh, don't worry, I'll keep him away from you."

"I don't trust you."

"Why not?"

"Maybe if you would tell me, I can decide for myself if you are," he replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He could go on for days listing the reason why she was the last person he would trust but he would only lose his time with her. She didn't care.

"Very well, if you are going to be like that..." she readjusted her skirts, then her hat. Gakupo didn't say a thing, knowing that she was only stalling to annoy him. "Gurdonline."

He blinked, unsure he had heard right. "I beg your pardon?"

"Gurdonline," she repeated. "Greedflower, if you prefer."

"You haven't..." Gakupo knew that she had. "You are insane."

"They said the same thing when I told them all what I was going to do with you and they loved you after. Just like they will love him."

"No, this is pure madness." Gakupo stood up. "How much of it did you give him?"

"Ah... Well, every night when you had your show, I sent Daisy for him, so that we would both sit together. Every night, I gave him two glasses of it, diluted in wine, and a third one when he would ask. He never even asked what it was, the innocent little thing. He barely spoke, enraptured as he was with your performance."

Gakupo clenched his free fist. He wanted to slam it on the table. "You are beyond despicable."

"Am I really?"

"You know that he'll never be the same afterward."

"You are telling me something entirely new."

"No, I am not. And there are a thousand other lust potions out there that would have made him uncontrollably in love with me for a week, and yet you still chose..." He spat the word. "Gurdonline."

"Well, what else but Gurdonline would serve my plans?"

He paused, surprised. "What plans?"

She shifted on her seat and smiled at him. Oh, Satan, not again.

"Please just tell me, this is getting boring," said Gakupo.

"Why would I tell you anything beyond the fact that I will take him as a pupil? You know that already."

Gakupo didn't reply. Instead, he placed Tadili on his lap and leaned forward, his head on his joined hands, thinking. She didn't seem to mind his harsh stare.

"I know what you are up to," he said after a while. "You never change, don't you?"

"I do change," she said, leaning forward. "I adapt and become stronger. Every day that passes increases my influence."

"You become stronger?" muttered Gakupo. "Are you quite sure it's that?"

"Are you implying that I am losing my touch?" she asked.

"No, no, your touch in your creations..." Gakupo waved his hand. He had kept tabs on the clients Miku took for flesh sculpting. For all her crazy, he had to admit that she was a great artist. And her voice... there was no reason it would decline in any shape or form.

"Then I think that you might do well to keep your pointless remarks to herself," she replied.

"So defensive." Gakupo knew that she wouldn't like it and that he had better things to do than to go around provoking demonesses in their own home, but he was at his wit's end and nothing could give more satisfaction than give a tiny bit of what he had just gotten back to her. "A bit more and I would think that the rumors I have been hearing are right."

"Rumors?" She huffed. "That won't get you far. I like my sources to be a little more precise than just words. Who knows, anyone could be saying anything they want just because they don't like me... including you. So spare me with those."

"I thought you would say that. My apologies, I didn't want to make it seem as if I doubted you. I trust you, after all."

She lost her smile. "I would be careful about what I said if I was you, Gakupo. I'm starting to think that you get too cocky when you have got what you came for."

"I think that it is time that I left, then," he said. He picked up Tadili, that was now fully awake but staying still, and stood. "Since we both have what we want. Just don't think that I will let you use Kaito to destroy me, Miku."

"I've already won." She didn't stand to see him to the door and instead crossed her hands over her stomach. "And it will give me great satisfaction to see you lose in the way I devised for you."

"This round, maybe. But your luck is turning, Miku, and don't think that I am the only one that noticed that. Sooner or later, you'll understand that there is more to courtesan than pretty dances and singing."

She chuckled. She didn't believe him, and that was fine by him. He turned his back to her and marched towards the door. Daisy wasn't in his way any longer, rather than that she followed him to the entrance. No goodbyes were exchanged, not even when Daisy ventured a timid "it was a pleasure to see you visiting, sir." She was pretty pathetic anyway. Gakupo suspected her to think she had a chance with him - maybe her mistress had promised him to her when she would be done with him or something absurd like that. As for him, he felt a rare dislike towards her, something akin to disgust. She was simply too small and perfect looking for him to even view her as a living woman.

Tadili didn't even start to move for herself until after they were in the safety of his carriage, where he could finally tend to her. She wasn't hurt as far as he could tell but she was obviously in a state of shock. Never had she been treated in such a way before, and who knew what other things Miku had done to her when she was alone in her care. Just the thought of it made him angry all over again.

Occupied as he was with his thoughts of Tadili, he barely had one for the man he had left behind until he was home. It was only when he realized that he was going to announce the news to Anya that he had a thought for Kaito. And, in the privacy of his carriage, far from the home that reminded him of the role he was supposed to play, he allowed himself to feel regret. Curse this blue-eyed idiot. He had lied to Miku: he did care for Kaito, enough that he hoped for him to suffer a sweeter fate than his in the hands of his former mentor.

Also, he'd miss him.


	27. New Direction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to mention that I actually lost the entirety of this chapter before posting it, so I had to rewrite it and it became longer than what I expected it to be as I rewrote it... So enjoy an extra-long chapter this time.

Kaito, sometimes, would half-wake in the morning, look around and then go back to sleep for half an hour more, unable to hold himself awake. That morning was no such morning. He didn't recognize the room he was in; the white walls, the silky white curtains to his four-poster bed and the white carpet were all unfamiliar to him. He looked around, expecting his memory to trigger at any time and tell him how he got in this strange place, but it didn't. it was the oddest and scariest sensation. He felt himself grow paralyzed with fear as if danger lurked in a corner and would pounce on him at any moment.

Frantically, his mind went over the last events he could recall. He remembered the first evening of Gakupo's show, then some parts of the day after, and when it came to the second show his memory plunged into darkness. He didn't know what had happened beyond that, yet could feel that there must have been more. It was like a dream he had forgotten, and all that remained was the odd emptiness where something should have been there.

What in the world had happened?

Luckily for him, Daisy arrived at this moment, carrying a tray with a smoking teapot for him. The sight of her reassured him. He suddenly identified the house in which he was: it could be none other than Miku's. He knew that he was safe and relaxed.

"How was your sleep?" asked Daisy. She laid the tray down on Kaito's lap. "I have come in here earlier to open the curtains, but you were sleeping so soundly that I didn't dare wake you yet."

"I..." honestly, Kaito couldn't tell, so he went for the answer that was expected in such a situation. "I slept well, thank you. Is Miku around?"

"Yes, and she is up too. She's expecting you, but she doesn't want to hurry you. Take your time to clear your head properly. She said that there is much to talk about."

"I also have many questions," answered Kaito. "What am I doing here? I don't remember anything. It took me a little by surprise."

Daisy didn't answer him right away, instead, she observed him quietly, as if weighing how much she could tell him. "I think that my mistress wishes to be the one answering that. She knows all of the details, and I would only confuse you."

"Weren't you there?" asked Kaito. It was odd that Daisy, the literal shadow of Miku (or so he assumed) wouldn't be present at Miku's side at every moment. After all, she literally carried one of her eyes. If Kaito had such a servant, he couldn't imagine himself letting them out of his sight.

"Well, yes, but you see, I am just a lowly servant. It would be out of line for me to tell you what I think happened when my mistress said that she wanted to do it herself."

And, before Kaito could ask any more questions, she turned around and left the room.

That was odd, thought the man. Was it something that was specific to Miku's household? He knew that Anya would have answered his questions in a heartbeat. To each their own, maybe, or maybe Anya was the exception to the rule.

He was willing to overlook this small detail: he had more important things to think about because the more he tried to think about how he had landed in that bed, the more he was growing certain that there were things that he didn't recall - many, many things that he didn't recall. He reached into his shirt to check that the obsidian necklace that Miku gave him was still there, ensuring that he was safe from Gakupo's detection. The last thing he wanted was to see his tormentor show up. Surely, he would be quite unhappy if he found out where Kaito was - and then who knew what sort of punishment he would devise for him.

Unless Miku stepped in to protect him.

Maybe such a thing had already happened? Kaito pondered the possibility. What would make a demoness such as Miku act to protect him from his master? Kaito tried to guess but started to come up with possibilities that were so scary that he quickly chased those ideas from his mind and didn't dare pursue the subject. It had been a mistake.

But his memory loss was already quite scary on its own.

Eventually, Kaito found that he didn't really want to sit around and drink tea to wake up. He put the tray aside and kicked out the covers. He only hesitated a moment when he realized that he wasn't really dressed to impress but, with no available change of clothes in sight, he decided that it would have to do.

He didn't have to go far to find Miku. The woman herself was on the same floor than the room he had used to sleep, sitting in a large chair in a rather dark room. She was also drinking tea, but she did so facing the window... a window that showed nothing but the blank wall of the house next door. Not that she was actually looking at that: her eye, that laid on the little table next to her, was pointed straight at Kaito.

"Daisy told me that you are awake," she said.

Kaito, a little intimidated, nodded. She was as impressive as she always was, clad in the same old dress, her eyes hidden under her had even inside. Even the room in which she sat seemed to be still from her presence alone as if fearing to displease her if it became a little more lively.

"Come in," she said.

Kaito approached her cautiously. There was a chair near her, that he took. He knew that now was the times to ask the questions that were so urgent before but he didn't dare. It was like at the theater. She called for silence.

"There are things we must discuss," she mercifully added.

"Yes."

"You must be wondering about many things." She sat up straight in her chair. Kaito glanced at her eye and saw that it was pointed towards him, which was odd. No one had turned it. "And there are other things that you are probably not worrying about that must be talked about. Now, Daisy told me that you asked about you waking up here."

"Yes, I have," he answered.

She sighed and shook her head. "That is a story that won't be pleasant to tell you, but it has to be told. The truth is, I had to take you in - and I am scared that I have already come too late. What is the last thing you remember?"

"Coming to your lodge, actually," said Kaito. "On the second night of the show, although it's a little confused."

Miku bit her lip. "This is worse than I thought."

"What?" he asked.

"Kaito," she said as she turned to him. "We are now one day after Gakupo's last presentation. You have lost all recollection of five entire days."

"What?" Kaito's mouth moved but no sound came out. He was too shocked to form a coherent question. How could someone lose five days like that? Having never heard of such a thing, he was both mind-blown and afraid.

"You have been given a powerful drug called Greedflower," she explained. "Its primary use is to make someone obsessed with someone else - an obsession that takes away every bit of awareness that you have until the only thing you can think about is what you are obsessed with. And, sadly, its effects are permanent."

"Permanent?" repeated Kaito. "But... can't a demon heal anything?"

"This is almost true," she said. "But if they could heal anything, then flesh crafting would only be a temporary embellishment - and then they would return to their first appearance. There are products that can change you forever, and one of those products happen to be one of the ingredients of the Greedflower - by the way, it doesn't look like a flower at all, mind you."

Kaito looked out the window at the wall for a while. He needed to process what he had just heard, but all his mind could do was numbly repeat the words Miku had just told him as if they would start taking on another sense.

"The reason why you don't remember the last five days is because of the medicine I used to help you," she continued. "Sadly, the only known way to help relieve your suffering also makes you forget the time you spent under its influence... and it's only a temporary solution. The only way to cure it definitely would be to have a Lord take care of this - only one of the Great Seven are known to have the power to reverse the curse."

Kaito perked up. "So all I need to do is ask them?"

Miku shook her head. "If only it was so simple... but it's Lex Infernum. You cannot walk to one of them and simply ask such a favor - even if it would be quite simple for them. They would rather throw you in the pits rather than grant it."

"They... but why? If you say that it would be simple for them--"

"It's weak that serves the strong," she cut him. "That's how it goes. That how all of hell goes. If the powerful would start doing things for the weak, it would upset the balance of how things have always been, because of course what would make you special over all the others that would need their help? The only way they could justify removing your curse would be if you offer them a favor." She shook her head. "And there is nothing that you can offer them that a thousand others wouldn't be willing to give them too."

That was the last stand for Kaito. He slowly slumped into his seat, staring out the window at the blanc wall. So great was everything he needed to process that mind was pretty much the same at the moment.

And it was all Gakupo's fault.

A slow, burning rage boiled in the pit of his stomach. He thought of the time where Gakupo has asked him if Kaito would kill him all over again and offered his chest to be stabbed. At that moment, he would have plunged the meat knife in front of the guests. He wouldn't have died, but if anything, he would have suffered.

"I have one question," said Kaito after a while - Miku, respectfully, had let him digest the revelations in silence. "You said that I am obsessed with something due to this... Greedflower?"

She nodded in understanding. "Can't you guess what that might be?" she asked.

Kaito thought about it. He felt like he had an idea but he refused to consider the possibility. It was too cruel; it made him feel like ice was being injected in his veins and freezing them until he was numb all over. Despicable was the word he was looking for, and so he preferred for it to remain unspoken.

"I don't know," he eventually answered.

"Yet it is very straightforward - as expected for someone as simple-minded as Gakupo. The thing he made you obsessed with is no other than the one thing he cares about: himself."

Kaito started to shake his head. "No."

"It is true though. You told me that yourself before I gave you the medicine: he tied you down and made you drink it, and then he sat in front of you until the drug had taken effect. He was very careful not to go out of the room, and when he wanted something he made his... whore-servant fetch it for him so that he wouldn't be away from your presence."

Kaito shook his head.

"That is the sort of things he does to others," she said. "Don't you believe me? This is what you told me yourself. You might not remember it, but it is the truth and nothing but the truth."

He sighed, and once again looked away. This was almost too much for him. He was no longer angry anymore, just... tired. Before, he could still cling on the hope that he would escape Gakupo after three years, but now he was branded. He would carry the marks of his time with him forever.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why?" she repeated. "He found out that I invited you to my lodge."

Kaito found himself as a loss of words. This... sounded ridiculous. He knew that Gakupo had sometimes taken his punishments to an extreme, like when he had taken him to the pits, but even that was a step above his usual level of cruelty. And, as foolish as that might sound, Kaito had always had the impression that there was some level of pity holding Gakupo back from going all out. But something like this? This hit hard.

"I am going to need some time to get over this," said Kaito.

"But there is a good side to that," replied Miku.

He looked at her but didn't say anything, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I know it isn't much, but I couldn't stand aside and let him do as he pleased to you anymore," she said. "And you won't have to go back there again."

"What do you mean?"

"I sent him a word as a convocation to my home," she said. "If I ask him, he'll agree to sign the contract that gives you up." She smiled. "In other words, I will be your new master."

He sensed that he should have felt some joy, yet all he felt was numbness.

"Isn't that what you desired?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, it was. Thank you." He paused, thought about it. "But... how can you do that? It seems weird that he would just... hand me over."

She smiled at him almost smugly, if there was such a thing as a smug Miku. "Well, let's just say that I have some leverage in the matter. Don't worry about those details and let me handle him."

He nodded. He didn't feel like he was capable of handling it himself in the first place and he wasn't about to bother. The less he could interact with Gakupo, the better it would be; he cares for nothing else.

"But there is a good side to that," replied Miku.

He looked at her but didn't say anything, waiting for her to elaborate.

"I know it isn't much, but I couldn't stand aside and let him do as he pleased to you anymore," she said. "And you won't have to go back there again."

"What do you mean?"

"I sent him a word as a convocation to my home," she said. "If I ask him, he'll agree to sign the contract that gives you up." She smiled. "In other words, I will be your new master."

He sensed that he should have felt some joy, yet all he felt was numbness.

"Isn't that what you desired?" she asked.

"Yes," he said. "Yes, it was. Thank you." He paused, thought about it. "But... how can you do that? It seems weird that he would just... hand me over."

She smiled at him almost smugly, if there was such a thing as a smug Miku. "Well, let's just say that I have some leverage in the matter. Don't worry about those details and let me handle him."

He nodded. He didn't feel like he was capable of handling it himself in the first place and he wasn't about to bother. The less he could interact with Gakupo, the better it would be; he cares for nothing else.

 

The carriage sat on the side of the street, tall and black, its door opened on bottomless depth. Kaito looked at it, then back at the bags that sat next to it, that was full of clothes that fitted him perfectly and books he had never read but had been told he would enjoy. The whole situation felt surreal. This was the scenario one would expect from a dream: wake up in a life that was both strange and tailored to him.

"Where did you say we were going again?" he asked Miku.

She was standing near him, he feet neatly tucked next to each other and her hand holding her other hand. She looked like she was overviewing the packing of her stuff, yet she had not said a thing. Instead, Daisy commanded her bodyguards with the assurances of a mistress that was the head of the house. Kaito wasn't sure if Miku just trusted her servant to oversee things or if they shared a secret mental link through her eye. No matter how far-fetched that might seem, he suspected the latter: in the short time where he had gotten to know Miku, he had been under the impression that she wasn't the type to let other people decide for her - not when she seemed to despise how everyone else chose to live their life, anyway.

She turned sharply on her heels when spoken to, the motion so precise it was almost uncanny. "Mont Mendiana. It's a mountain where I built my countryside residence. I would rather spend most of my time there if it wasn't for the fact that most of the people that can afford my service happen to live in Allacard."

"So that's the place," said Kaito.

"Pardon?"

"Well, Daisy mentioned traveling yesterday but didn't elaborate on the subject when I asked. I've been wondering about it ever since."

"Ah."

She didn't excuse herself for leaving him in the dark or explain why she had forbidden her servant from answering his most legitimate questions. Instead, she went back to her initial position, a petite woman with her limbs all tucked in yet so formidable a presence that all those that served her made sure to take the long way around her. Ah... the eccentricity of artists, Kaito thought. If her work on Gakupo was anything to go by, she had every reason to be a little aloof. Not to say that he had not admired Gakupo's demonic form... it was just that it had been in his face so many times that he had had no choice but to commit it to memory.

From there, his mind wandered to other things. Gakupo's body, as alien as it might have been, was just so full of inviting curves and angles, like a statue of an alien god of fertility. His smooth skin most certainly invited the touch of a hand, yet his strength was nothing to sneeze at. He had held many down with ease...

And then, with no warning, Kaito realizes that he was starting to fantasize about being the one held down; held down into a mattress as the others teased him into delight. He would protest, but then Gakupo would go on, and on, and on, until he drew every single drop of pleasure out of Kaito's body, until he made him nothing more than a moaning mess...

Kaito felt his blood freeze in his veins when he realized that this must be the Greedflower working its poison on him. He turned to Miku in alarm.

"How often do I need to take the medicine for--" He stopped himself.

She seemed puzzled before she understood what he meant. "Oh. Tomorrow morning."

Kaito blushed. "But right now... Well, I mean..." How did one confess that they had been fantasizing about their worse enemy?

Miku seemed to understand, yet there was an annoyance in her voice when she answered, "It will never filter all of it, no matter how many times you drink the medicine. That's why it's not an absolute solution to your case except being graced by the Lords. Just learn to control your thoughts like any decent gentleman or suffer as you deserve."

She stepped away without giving him any time to defend his case, climbing in the carriage. He figured that answering then wouldn't be well received, so he didn't add anything and followed her. They were soon due to leave anyway.

It is hard to read someone with no eyes, Kaito discovered. He tried to determine at what point she would be receptive to his questions but never found it. Not wanting to displease her further - and fearing from experience how a demon could react upon being disturbed at the wrong moment - he kept to himself and looked outside as they traveled.

It wasn't as if the trip in itself was uninteresting. He knew that Allacard was vast and important, yet had never had the occasion to grasp how large it was. The red district, where he had spent his entire life beyond death, was but a small part, the part dedicated to pleasure and entertainment. They crossed more residential areas, passed vast factories, went over a blood-red river on a bridge and, finally, crossed the poorer areas, that just seemed to go on forever and ever. This part, although the stinkiest of them all, was also the most morbidly interesting of them all. Kaito couldn't tear his eyes away from the miserable creatures he would catch glimpses of, some of them looking strikingly human as they had no money to fancy themselves up. He suddenly understood that all the strange looking demons he had seen before were all very rich, that looking monstrous was a sign of wealth in itself. He wondered how hard it might be to live as those people lived. Were they still grateful that they didn't end up in the pits?

"Maybe we'll pick some servant from there someday," said Miku out of the blue. "Educating them to have proper manners is a pain when they come from the slums, but their loyalty is without equal. I've gone through many a handmaid before understanding that a true servant can only be forged by their master."

Kaito wondered what she meant by 'going through' handmaids.

Then came the countryside, and with that change more pleasant views. There was a lot of wilderness and few villages, with the occasional estate that would tower over the road arrogantly. Kaito found himself attracted to nature, as dark and strange it might be. Back when he was still alive, his favorite way of spending his days was with long walks in the woods, sometimes with his dogs when he happened to own some. He longed for such times with a nostalgia that almost made him sad.

They traveled for much of the day before the flatlands became a rather steep slope. The bleeding sun started to set on a horizon of jagged mountains. When the light was too weak for them to travel at their usual pace, the coach stepped down from his seat and lead his horses on a rope with a lantern in his hand.

"We'll soon be there," said Miku.

Kaito nodded, but he had not realized how soon was the soon Miku had meant. They stopped barely seconds later and he leaned out the window to look out into the night. He saw nothing but trees, yet the door was opened for them and Miku stepped out. He followed, confused, and found himself even more so when their packets were discharged and lead though a half-hidden door carved into a rock tunnel. The coach and his lantern lead the way.

Before he knew it he was standing in a pleasantly furnished interior, with candles lit for their comfort. There was a fire burning in the heath and maids ready to rid them of their traveling clothes. Kaito was confused as to how much comfort could hide in the middle of nowhere.

"I had this place built according to my own vision," said Miku proudly. "The house in itself doesn't look like much because most of it is underground, but it's big enough. Do pay mind to stick with me, it would be a shame if you were to lose yourself."

They sat for supper shortly afterward. Having eaten nothing the whole day, Kaito was starving and dug into the meal with glee. It was delicious and made even sweeter by the thought that this would be his life now: a life without the threat of Gakupo's presence.

Kaito thought that it would soon be time to get up and bid Miku goodnight when she slipped a parchment in his direction. He had not seen many of those, but he would recognize it anywhere: it was a soul contract, of the kind that bound a pupil to its new master. His heart soared. Taken as he had been in everything that was changing around him, he had not thought about the fact that he was, technically speaking, masterless.

"You need such a contract in order to keep turning into a demon," said Miku. "It would be a shame if you remained stuck in this hybrid state forever."

The comment made Kaito think. "What does being a demon imply?" he asked. "If they don't change their appearance with magic, they will never look any different from humans."

"Ah, that's a complex question." Miku nodded in approval at his curiosity. "Well, first off, there is the magic that you can use, and then there is knowing the rules and how hell works. You'll understand the differences better when your sense for magic will have fully boomed anyway. I just want to point out that thinking that all demons must have come from humans is a common mistake young demons make."

"I mean, I know that some demons are born from other demons - like Anya, or the Kagamine siblings..."

"True, but they still hold some human in them. Have you ever heard of purebred demons, Kaito?"

He frowned, trying to figure out this new term. "Are those the Great Seven?"

"No no, not at all. The Great Seven might rule us all, but they are, more than anyone else, born from the human's collective mind. A purebred demon is something else entirely. They used to rule hell before the Seven came and tipped the balance of power, and they were created by the hands of God Himself as a free race."

"They are older than the Seven themselves? Where are they today?"

"Some are prisoners, sadly. Some still roam the world. Some even live in the slums, having had their powers torn away from them, but they remain proud, magnificent creatures. If you would see one for yourself, you would understand how corrupted is the society in which we live in is." Miku seemed sad. "My master was a purebred demon. He taught me to remain lucid in this world made of pointless illusions. Even if we had our disagreement. I wish he could have been able to see things my way, but he was so set in his own vision of things..."

"That's..." Kaito did feel sorry for them, but the little information that she had given him only made him more curious. "Were you... reborn as a demon in a time before the Seven?"

She shook her head. "Ack, I wish that could have been so, but no. It was a better time back then, but that doesn't mean that we cannot keep some of that dignity in our hearts. That's what I am hoping to give you through this apprenticeship."

"Dignity..." Kaito turned his attention to the contract. Despite his progress in Latin, he couldn't read it, the language was too complicated for him.

"You will be my first student that will get all that I know," she said. "I will teach you to sing and dance as I have taught Gakupo, if you wish, but that was all frivolities. He was not fit to receive all the rest, so that makes you my first true pupil - rather than the joke of a pupil that Gakupo was."

This sounded intimidating to Kaito. He hoped he would prove himself worthy of such trust, and feared that he might let Miku down one way or another. She had said that Gakupo, talented, strong and beautiful Gakupo, was not good enough for that. What made Kaito any better?

"I must also warn you," continued Miku, "that by signing this, you will hand over all rights to your body over to me."

Kaito's head jerked up. "Why that?"

"So that I may craft you as I please.You won't have to worry about the price of my services. You are one of those people that are like a block of marble: I can see your true appearance just begging to come through." She nodded to herself. "Yes, with the right education and appearance, you will make a fine demon, one that might be worthy of your legacy." She even smiled. "They will see. So, I think that the only thing left for you to do is to put your name on this paper, and then we can go to bed.

"Wait," he said. "Will I be able to have a say in how I will look like?"

"No," she replied, losing her smile. "I work the same way with all of my clients. I decide what they will become. They are, after all, always quite satisfied with the results. You will be no different."

Kaito wasn't too reassured by that, yet he wasn't in a position to negotiate. He picked up the feather and signed, and that was how he became Miku's pupil.

He wasn't to leave this house for five years as she oversaw his education.


	28. Venturing Down Below

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: contains description of body horror. For those that it may concern, please read with caution.

Kaito placed down his book and looked at the window. This wasn't some idle fiction like he used to read when he first came to hell. It was called "An Essay on Applied Human Morales: A Lesson in Modesty for Demons." It was very interesting but hard to read in one sitting. That was why he sat where he sat. Any time he felt his mind drift away he allowed it to do so and would take a moment to admire the view.

He never grew bored of it, it was simply breathtaking. Miku's house, or at least the part of it that was over the ground, sat on the top of a steep cliff, with nothing to obstruct its view. In every direction, he saw either wilderness or small villages and both pleased him to see. It reminded him of the setting in which he had grown when he was a human, despite the red sun. He enjoyed the scenery more than what he ever would have in Allacard.

It was made even better by the fact that he could go to all those places he saw and wasn't simply restrained to remaining inside. Of course, his exploration had to limit itself to anything that was reasonable, in other words, he was under the obligation to sleep at Miku's home every night. There was a lot to explore regardless.

And when he wasn't out exploring, he was learning. Most of the time, Miku left the teaching Kaito's preceptor, Nirron. He was the one that had been ultimately responsible for teaching Kaito Latin to the point where he read it with ease - even complicated essays like the one that he held in his hands. From time to time, she made a teacher come from the city for a couple of weeks and Kaito worked intensely on whatever subject she had seen fit that he knew about. The rest of the time he was left to his own device, granted that he didn't get his nose anywhere he wasn't allowed to.

As for Miku herself, Kaito didn't see her nearly as much as he would have wanted to, especially since she had stopped working on his body. Those days, when she checked on him it was to see if he had been keeping up with his singing exercises. She seldom sang herself in front of him but she delivered critique that was both sharp and accurate. Other than that, he had discovered that all small talk with her was difficult. She quickly lost interest in anything she didn't consider interesting enough and wasn't shy about showing it.

But Kaito was still grateful for her. After all, she had saved him from Gakupo.

Just thinking about the man filled him with a slow, burning hate, the type of hate one got when envisioning an old enemy. It had only been a month, and that month had been five years ago, but Kaito couldn't stop recalling every small detail about it. He remembered how Gakupo would mock him for being stupid and naive. Gakupo, with his love for brainless romance novels, had probably never held a book as interesting as instructional as Kaito's Essay. What use would he have for it? He was nothing but a prostitute.

Many times had Kaito imagined what he would do should they come face to face again. The results ranged from a polite talk to a beating. Regardless of that, each time Kaito breached the subject with himself he could go on for hours at a time. Sometimes, he wished that he could simply put this part of his life behind once and for all, but he couldn't. Not after the Greedflower.

At least Miku was there to talk with him about Gakupo. She knew him better than anyone else, she had been his master when he had first come to hell. They could spend hours obsessing over him together, analyzing everything that was wrong. Often, Miku was the one that had the most up-to-date information about what he had been up to, so Kaito ended up listening to her monologuing. He was a little intrigued that she herself was so obsessed with the man. After all, it was clear that Gakupo was far beneath her and only part of a contract she had concluded with Asmodeus. She, so independent and clear thinking, should be capable of putting all that behind her. She claimed it was all a study in character. Kaito, for once, doubted her but he couldn't come up with words to put on his intuitions.

He was about to resume where he had left his book when he heard footsteps. He rose his head to see Nirron walking towards him. Blue skinned and rather small, his preceptor was a man that rarely smiled but he was great at explaining himself clearly. Kaito appreciated him for his seriousness.

He was about to resume where he had left his book when he heard footsteps. He rose his head to see Nirron walking towards him. Blue skinned and rather small, his preceptor was a man that rarely smiled but he was great at explaining himself clearly. Kaito appreciated him for his seriousness.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

"Sir, I'll I've just received news from my spouse and I have come to request the authorization to depart immediately."

"Your sister?" It was the first time in five years that Kaito was hearing about her. Nirron was a very quiet man.

"Yes. My child is very sick and she needs me to come and watch over him as she goes to work. She can't afford to take one day off and he needs tending..." He stopped himself from talking any more.

"Oh, I didn't know," answered Kaito. He knew that, with Miku gone in town, he was the one that was left in charge of such things. The decision looked a lot like the ones he would take when he was still alive and a nobleman. "How long do you think you will be gone?"

"At least three days, if not more. I am sorry that I must leave with such hast but my son has magidrain. He needs someone to physically be there to help him replenish his magical abilities..."

Kaito knew about magidrain. He knew that it was a sickness that consumed a demon's magic. He knew that to heal, it needed someone else to assist the demon. And he knew that it mostly struck demons in poorer areas due to a lack of access to proper nutrition. He didn't press the matter further.

"You may leave, then," he said. "There is no reason why you should remain here. Take my infequid if you like too, I won't be going anywhere with it in the next few days, she might as well get the exercise."

Nirron's eyes briefly widened in shock but he quickly regained his composure and bowed respectfully. "Many thanks, sir." He paused, then added: "I cannot stress how important that is to me and my family. If my wife was here, she's thank you better than I ever could. I am... not too gifted with words."

Kaito waved his hands. "Go. I simply cannot hold you here when your child needs you. That would be selfish of me."

He seemed to want to add something but eventually didn't. He bowed again, deeply, before leaving the room quickly. Kaito felt good about himself for his action. It wasn't much but it might make a difference.

It was only later in the day, when he finally rested his book, that it dawned on him. He was alone, entirely without any surveillance, for the first time in five years. Of course, there were the servants that kept the place running but they knew better than to check on what he or Miku was doing. Especially Miku. She was the one that had plucked them all out of the slums. She had given them all they had and educated them never to question her - and that cutesy extended to Kaito.

And that rose all sort of possibilities.

Miku's countryside house had been built a while back, she had told him, and she had not stopped expanding it when she had the time. And by expanding it, she meant that she had extended the underground section of it while leaving anything that the surface intact. Theoretically, there were only a few doors that were off-limits to Kaito.

Theoretically speaking only. Because Miku, for all her grace and her qualities, loved talking about the things she had accomplished, especially after dinner when they were both enjoying a cup of wine. And she had made no secret of how vast the work had been, and she had worked at it most of her life. Kaito could only estimate because she always stayed vague about the details but, if his estimations were anything near correct, she was at least two times older than Gakupo as a demon, which placed her at eighty years. (He had arrived at this result by reconstructing how long her life had been from the anecdotes she told him. She had once refused to tell him her age and he was worked on this fun little mystery every since then.)

The fact was, he doubted that he really had access to most of the house as she told him. Not that he firmly believed that. After all, what would she do with all this space that was so secret she couldn't tell her own pupil? But he had his doubts, and they were like nasty little serpents whispering to him at night.

Not that he would ever do anything to confirm it, he told himself. After all, Miku trusted him. Trespassing was out of the question. And even if he ended up being right, she would have lied to him for a very good reason. No, sneaking in the back of his savior would be very rude and against his morale. He would not do it.

 

He fussed and turned around in his bed, restless. The dreams were back again.

He didn't know where they came from, but they were making his nights longer than what they should. They were always vague but oppressive, visions of him going up and down hallways that were too small for him until he was paralyzed by claustrophobia. He wasn't even usually afraid of small spaces. Why was he having nightmares about small spaces?

But tonight the dreams were coming to him with acute clarity. Each time he woke up gasping for air, struggling against walls that kept becoming tighter and tighter around him only to have them suddenly removed. And that horrible, horrible feeling of being tracked down! He didn't understand where it came from.

He was laying there, trapped between the state of sleep and awake, struggling to reach the first when the oddest thing happened: he started to hallucinate. The images came to his mind and appeared in front of his eyes as if they were continuations of the dream that would impose itself on him, yet he knew that they weren't real. He saw the door to Miku's room, he saw a key on a hook under her bed. Then he saw another door, a door he had not been allowed to even approach. It opened. Stairs went down into the depth of the earth. There was a room, then a secret lever. He saw himself going deeper and deeper in the galleries, and then...

He needed to go there. Something terrible had happened.

He didn't know how he knew it. He rose from his bed, propelled by the sudden sense of urgency that had taken a grip on him. He paused to consider his actions. What was he doing? He didn't intend to go to Miku's room, didn't he? He would never betray her trust like that.

She didn't have to know, said another part of Kaito. If she had nothing to hide, why would she hide it? She will never find out that Kaito has been snooping and so will the servants that could tell her. Everyone was asleep, it was the middle of the night.

He should be sleeping himself.

But he had to admit that he was very intrigued by the images he had seen. What did they mean? What was down there... if down there even existed? That forbidden door could be a closet for all he knew. And was the key to open it where he had envisioned it?

Maybe that was, if he may say so, the key to knowing if those images had any truth to them. He could sneak into Miku's room and see if it was there where he had seen it. Surely it won't, and this dream was simply a hallucination where his tired brain had thrown together a bunch of random visions.

Maybe, maybe.

He stood up, considered whether or not he should change into his normal clothes, before deciding against it. It was going to be quick and no one would see him. No need to waste any more time he could use for sleeping.

Miku's house was always quiet, so seeing at night didn't change much apart from the light. In the dark hallways, he used memory and touch to orient himself, counting the doorways with his hands. Miku's room wasn't too far from his.

He knew that it would be empty. Yet, when he found the handle, he felt his heart rate pick up as if she was there, waiting for him. He had the crazy idea that it all might be some elaborate trap, although he ignored how she would have gotten the images in his head. And besides, she would never try to trap him, wouldn't she? What would she gain from it? Hadn't they lived together for five years, learning to know each other, gaining one another's trust?

It was silly. He pushed open the door as slowly as he could so that it wouldn't creak.

He felt bad that he couldn't bring himself to trust her so completely that he was standing there, in her room, when there was no one to watch him. But he would soon be proven wrong, and then maybe he could sleep in peace after that.

He knelt next to her bed, passing a hand under its wooden side. Nothing, he thought, there is nothing, but then his fingers encountered a small key on a hook.

He pulled it out so that he could look at it in the pale, reddish moonlight that came in from the French doors. It was dusty from having been untouched for so long, probably a change in case she would lose the one she carried on her. His heart was beating fast and strong in his chest as he considered what that meant.

This was already further than what he had intended to go. His dream was proven to be right in part. What about the rest?

He thought about the long years Miku's workers had to spend digging the stone of the mountain. The tons and tons of rocks that they had thrown over the cliff. He saw the pile when he leaned far over the edge of the balcony, covered in creeping plants from the forest but still very much there. Miku had planted deep roots into the very flesh of the mountain. Vanity wasn't the name of her sin. So what was it all for?

Those were dangerous thoughts, even more dangerous than imagining the alluring curve of Gakupo's neck in the early morning. Kaito knew better than to think that he should indulge them, yet he couldn't stop himself from wondering and he knew that he would keep wondering until he saw it for himself. If he didn't do it now, who knew when would be the next time he would have such an opportunity?

So he turned around to leave the room. Before departing he breathed deeply and checked if he was leaving any traces behind that Miku could sniff out. It was all fine. It wasn't as if he was a demon freshly turned anymore, leaving his magical traces wherever he went, but one could never be too sure.

The door he had seen in the dream was recognizable among a thousand others. Usually, Miku put a lot of care in the way things should appear, which made the big, ungraceful metal bars that crossed over the wood all the more surprising. He had always been suspicious of it, even as Miku claimed that it was "only the door that leads to her workshop".

His hands were shaking as they ran over the large knots of metal in total darkness, looking for the tiny keyhole. He kept thinking about how, if Miku suddenly appeared, he would have no explanation for this. How disappointed she would be. Maybe she would even cast him out. He didn't know where he would go if she did that.

But she wasn't there. He'd soon know what this was all about.

The door was heavy but quiet, unsettlingly so. He pushed it and stepped in before closing it behind him. He felt safer now that he was inside. He could get away with this, he thought. The idea was exciting despite the risk.

Certain that he was less at risk of being caught, he rose a hand and projected some magic in front of him, like a soundwave that propagated itself through the air. A luminous crystal reacted and lit up. Then a second one, then a third one, lower, always lower, down the stairs into the mountain. The walls were raw stone, uncut and very close to one another. The smell was of stale air. Kaito gulped and began his descent.

There was a second door at the bottom, this one unlocked. He pushed it and was met with darkness again, but this time the small sounds he made indicated him that he was in a room. A rather large one at that. He listened for a time for reasons himself didn't know.

He wasn't alone.

He had no idea what made him think that but he couldn't shake off the feeling that pressed at the limit of his perception. Not that it felt threatening to him in particular, even if he was vulnerable and alone in the dark. But there were other things here. If he had an intuition it was best that he didn't ignore it. As a demon, he felt things he still had trouble identifying; the vaguest of those sensations sometimes lingered as the edge of his perception. If he felt that something was amiss, he was probably right, but no one could be here. It was most likely rats or some other animal.

Once again, he pushed forward his magic. A crystal mounted in a lamp on a table somewhere in front of him came on, followed by a larger one on the ceiling. The space in front of him was revealed to him. It wasn't particularly exciting at first sight. A clean, polished stone table. An assortment of tools. A basin for water. Books on shelves that could be protected by drawing dark curtains over them. And other things that would be expected from a flesh crafting workshop. Sure, some of the hooks that hung from the ceiling looked to be quite sinister, but that was just because Kaito was looking at them in the middle of the night. He cranked his head back to take a look at the rails that allowed them to be moved around for Miku's convenience. They vaguely reminded Kaito of a web. Some of the strands disappeared behind a curtain.

As Kaito could embrace everything in the room from the door save for what was behind that curtain, he naturally padded over to pull it back.

His hand flew to his mouth to stop himself from screaming in terror.

There, hanging from hooks, were living things. Two of them, to be exact. Kaito recognized the shape to be human but beyond they were almost indescribable. They had no face save for two holes for the nose. Their arms were joined at the wrists so that they could be hung. Other than that, their skin was a mismatch of parts and creations, some of which iridescent and full of vivid colors. Their chest rose with a breath. When they felt the air move from Kaito's presence they moved weakly and there were some muffled cries from the back of their throats. They were alive like that.

Those were vessels.

Kaito slowly backed away and sat down as he watched them. He had heard of them. Those two, men or women, had committed the most atrocious of crimes during their lives, so despicable that they had received the worse punishment one could possibly imagine. Deprived of all of their senses save for touch, they were then bought by flesh crafters to become living gardens where limbs could be grown before being transferred to a client. They were to never escape their condition.

Kaito placed his face in his hands. This was what she had tried to hide from him. Now he understood why he wasn't allowed here. What a fool he had been. What had he been expecting? Some grand, mysterious secret? Something that could reveal Miku to be evil and that she was planning to torture him all along? As horrifying as those poor unfortunate souls were to look at, those were her work tools. She had probably used them to create the demon form she had gifted him. He never remembered being in this room from when she worked on him because she always put him to sleep but those were the realities of her work.

And now what? He was going to live with the guilt of having doubted her for the rest of his days? He was going to have to hide that he knew what she did when she locked herself down here? He was pathetic. And shaking. And why was he crying? He didn't have any pity for those voiceless worms now, did he?

He stood up and closed the curtain again, not wanting to look at the pathetic sight any longer.

He was already sick of this place, yet he didn't leave. His intuition was acting up again, and he remembered other things he had seen in his vision. There had been a level to pull... something about a shelf that wasn't fully pushed against a wall. He looked around in the pale yellow light of the overhanging crystal, searching for something out of place.

This was stupid, he thought. Okay for an extra key, but why would she have an additional secret lever somewhere? This wasn't one of those frivolous novels he had stopped reading because of how unrealistic they were, he told himself.

Turned out that it might be because he did find a lever behind a shelf after having noticed that one of them was slightly out of place. He pulled the metal bar and there the sound of something rolling smoothly out of the way.

He turned around to see a gaping hole in the wall facing him.

A little at loss he approached it but for each step he took towards it, he felt his hair rise. Down in the darkness were sounds that lingered beyond his hearing and the distinct smell of rotting flesh.


	29. Around a Game of Poker

Meanwhile, back in Allacard, Gakupo was being ardently disputed during a game of poker.

The principle was simple: all four of the demons around the table had contributed to buy his night but there would be only one winner, which was decided at the end of thirteen rounds. The one that had Gakupo couldn't fold, but they had the right to only throw Gakupo in the pool, effectively using his time as a joker. Of course, that meant that he was being passed around a lot but he didn't mind. All five around the table were clients that he liked.

At the moment, he belonged to a certain Banton. The game was slowly coming to an end so he was mentally preparing himself to work by getting himself a light drink. From time to time Banton would slip a hand under his shirt and stroke his midriff, but when his hand trailed lower Gakupo playfully swatted him away.

"Did you know that Miku is about to put out another project?" said Araden.

"Oh, well, how do you know that?" said Bandon as he pushed a pile of money to the center of the table. "She's told you?"

"Oh, certainly not, you know how is Miku."

There was a laugh around the table. Everyone knew how was Miku and it had become a bit of a joke in most recent years. Gakupo laughed along, mostly because he was glad to see that she was the one being mocked.

"What sort of project is that?" asked a demoness. Her name was Adygay.

"Well, the same sort of project than what was Gakupo, I suppose," replied Araden with a nod in the courtesan's direction. "She's had them holed up in her countryside house for the last few years, apparently. Most importantly, she's been asking me about using my hall in town for an auction. For free, of course, she said, and I'll receive a percentage of the final benefice."

"For free? So it's as they say," replied Adygay. "She's truly broke."

"She won't be if she actually gets to sell," said Araden. "I'm considering accepting her proposition. Everyone will want a piece of the next Gakupo, or at least will see them as the next one for a while."

"Without Asmodeus' blessing, she won't get very far," said Bandon. His hand was back up Gakupo's shirt.

"She might actually make it. This business of creating virgin bodies for sale is quite ludicrous. Maybe that's the next big thing she will be making, now that both her singing and her flesh crafting business have failed."

"She'll botch it like everything else she does," said Araden.

"I thought you were going to give her a chance?"

"That's because I am counting on the naive and the stupids to buy from her, based on Gakupo's reputation." Araden sent the courtesan a heated look. "There are plenty that would rise to the occasion. I'm already betting that Gonrr might be interested."

That was a name that Gakupo had not heard in a very, very long time. Ever since he had blacklisted him, in fact.

"I will pity that poor project of Miku's if Gonrr wins the auction again," said Araden. "What do you say, Gakupo? You know how he is in bed."

Gakupo, that was sitting on their table, leaned back until he was laying - and Bandon used the occasion to slip his hand higher, raising his shirt. "I don't really care about all that. The only thing I can think about is which of you I'll get to raw tonight."

This answer drew some gasps from the players and the crowd. Araden in particular suddenly seemed ablaze with determination. It was plain as day that he was bummed by the fact that he had not won Gakupo once since the beginning of the game. He was never the luckiest at poker.

"Let's get this game going, then," he said. "Just one more round and we'll know the true winner."

"That would be me," said Adygay as she patted the significant amount of gold that she had already amassed. "Regardless of who gets Gakupo in the end, I already have enough here for a night with him of my own."

There were some laughs. The other demons that had been invited to the small party gathered closer, eager to take a look at how things were going to go down. The occasion was for a very close circle of friends, and all of them represented the finest of Allacard's society; sometimes, Asmodeus himself joined them.

"Let's make things interesting," said Bandon. "I'll be throwing Gakupo back in this time, and see if anyone can get him."

"You haven't even looked at your cards," pointed out Araden.

"Well, that's the fun of the game, isn't it? Have lady luck decide."

Gakupo had to get out from the table for them to be able to get their cards. He too was looking forward to knowing who would win. All he had done all evening was stand around and look pretty. It was dreadfully boring.

"I do admit that it's easier to focus when Miku is not looming over your game to see if you will be the one that will win her pupil," declared Araden as he was waiting for his cards.

"Indeed," answered Bandon. "Lady Gilland, I am certainly glad that you are not inviting her anymore. Does anyone know where she is now?"

"Last I heard of her, she was trying to get an invitation to the Darden party." The way lady Gilland's delicate nose scrunched up when she said that showed what she truly thought of said party. "He might invite her for the entertainment she will provide but who knows with him. She might be having an eye on him as her next protector."

"Oh my, who even wants to have Darden as their protector?" said Bandon. "If she manages to come, I'll be answering favorably to my invitation. I wouldn't want to miss that for the world. Isn't he still mourning his brother?"

"I've heard that he's throwing it to show that he's fine," answered Gilland. "Knowing him, that will make it entirely over the top.

"I agree with that," said Araden. "It makes me curious to see how it will go down. Funny how she used to be everywhere before that."

"What can I say, she's a talented lass, but she got to get her head out of her as-- excuse my language, Lady Gilland."

"Oh, while I do not approve of such terms, I do agree with you, Bandon," she replied. "She's so stubborn about her creations, and only sings when she wants to. Such things don't bode well when you don't have a title to your name."

"I'll add in twenty Perse," said Brandon the moment he had taken a look at his cards.

"You're buffing," said Ayagay.

"Then I'll be playing thirty." Araden seemed determined.

"Let me join the fray then," said Lady Gilland. "This seems fun."

They all looked at Ayagay. The latter rolled her eyes.

"Of course I'm putting my own contribution in. One last win will look nice, and you've just amassed enough for a second night with Gakupo." She leered at the pile of money, making a point of licking her lips gleefully.

There was a pause around the table, and suddenly they all looked slightly embarrassed. Gakupo almost snorted. They had all been bluffing.

Hesitantly, they put their cards down and leaned over to see them. The crowd came closer as well, that they might miss nothing of what was about to go down. Everyone held their breath.

"Well, seems like this was a close one," said lady Gilland.

Araden, finally believing his luck, reached out for Gakupo. The latter leaned into his grip, that he might hold him as he was pulling in the pile of gold coins on the table.

"It was a pleasure playing with you," said the winner with a large grin.

Ayagay huffed, but she was known to be a sore loser. The tow others smiled knowingly, wishing for their friend to have a good time.

 

"I love getting to sleep next to you," said Araden. "Especially in your demon form."

Gakupo laughed softly and kept stroking his stomach. "Oh? I reckon I'm not the most comfortable to sleep with. I've been told my skin is a bit too hard for hugs."

"True that, but it feels special. It's like sleeping with a piece of art... Actually, it is sleeping with a piece of art. One that won't get ruined if I slobber all over it."

"Glad you think so."

"Even if Miku manages to somehow create another courtesan that is more beautiful than you, they will never surpass you."

"Oh? How so? Allow me to doubt your flattery. In my line of work, looks are everything."

Araden shook his head slowly. He was very tired by their recent activities but he seemed determined to say what he wanted to say. "That is not true. I think that you made yourself as much as she made you, if not more. You charm like no other that I know. You are implacable in bed. And your confidences draws people in like a magnet. You could make all of hell fall in love with you if you wanted."

"Oh, I can already tell you that Asmodeus wouldn't fall for me, so that's already something that's not going to happen."

"None of the Seven counts as demons. At least, that's what I think."

"Those are dangerous words to say now. I didn't know that this night was going to become political."

"You know it's true. How they usurped power... They are nothing but the basest impulse of humanity given life. We demons have nothing to do with them - not even humans should have anything to do with them. They are fabricated..."

He was stopped by a finger to his lips.

"Hush. It's early in the morning," whispered Gakupo. "You went through three round of sex, two of which left you filled up to the brim. It's time to sleep."

"But I want to know what you think about it. You've known that those are my views for a while now, it's not fair that you get to keep quiet."

Gakupo considered it. He almost refused to say, but suddenly decided otherwise. "I do not want the old demons to come back in power. They don't have a chance anyway. As long as humans keep believing in the Seven as strongly as they do... Besides, Asmodeus made me into who I am and created a society in which I have my own spot. I like my life as it is. I'd be a dog biting the hand that feeds him if I believed otherwise."

Araden nodded. "That's fair. But I can already tell that you would strive in any environment and--"

"Are you going to sleep or do you want to keep flattering me?" asked Gakupo, interrupting him.

Araden mumbled some protest and finally closed his eyes.

Once Gakupo was certain that he wasn't going to wake up again to pester him, he looked out the window of the bedroom, up at the moon. Red and full as it was on that night, it was lovely and he couldn't stop himself from admiring it. Stars were nothing compared to the moon, she was the true queen of the night.

She allowed him to think about what he had learned that night. And, for the first time in a while, his thoughts were going back to Kaito.

If he was indeed Miku's next project - and in Gakupo's mind, there was no doubt about it - then she probably thought herself to be quite slick about how ironic it would be that he was meant to replace him. That was the thing with Miku. She could be discreet and mysterious when she wanted but the moment her plan was revealed it always fell apart. Kaito had nothing of a courtesan or, if he was, he would never reach the heights Gakupo had achieved. She was so self-centered that she didn't even realize that most of his success was not due to her. It was Gakupo himself that had danced, and sang, and flattered his way to the spot he was today. If Kaito thought he could even equal him, he was gravely mistaken. No matter how much he had changed in five years, it wouldn't be enough to worry Gakupo.

They went well together. Both so arrogant and unforgiving. Kaito, with how naive he was, probably still believed that Miku had his greater good in mind. He wondered how she had convinced him to become a courtesan. Gakupo still remembered the face Kaito had made when he realized that he was living in a courtesan's home. Maybe she had used the Greedflower to her advantage? She wouldn't be beyond exploiting someone's weakness like that. She had done it plenty to Gakupo.

Gakupo, as always when he thought about his former pupil, started to wonder what would have happened if things had gone differently. If he would have kept Kaito around, where would they be today?

It was a stupid question. Anything could have happened. The real question was why he still missed the damn idiot.

It wasn't an arching pain like the one caused by a loved one but Kaito was certainly more on his mind than what he had any right to. Was it because they had both become pupils of Miku? Was he jealous that she was treating him better than what Gakupo had ever been? Was he simply curious? Or maybe he missed how ridiculous he could be, how stubborn yet strangely endearing he sometimes behaved. Kaito's naivety made Gakupo want to tease him and protect him. He wasn't used to feeling such things when he usually hung out with the powerful and confident demons of the upper spheres of Allacard.

They said times healed all wounds. In the end, Gakupo's grand vengeance had been nothing but a one-sided beating upon a defenseless demon. It would have been much more entertaining if Kaito had tried to fight back and had been constantly defiling him. And yes, while he had certainly gone against his orders a few times, his usual conduct in the matter had been to instantly submit and take what had been forced upon him. And then, when he had been in any real danger, he had right away turned to Gakupo for protection.

The man was pathetic and, in the end, boring to bully.

That didn't explain why Gakupo missed him but he certainly was in no hurry to find the answer. It was too late for introspection, he decided, so he curled up around Araden and quickly fell asleep.


	30. The Secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains some grotesque and body-horror gore.

Kaito had only felt this strange feeling of watching his life unfold from outside himself once, and that had been when he had escaped to Cupid's Park. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, it was too much; so he didn't believe it.

He wasn't even sure that he was understanding what he was seeing. There were body parts all over the place, some pulsating and some with flies circling over them. There were guts in pots on shelves, twitching and pulsating as if they were inside a real body. And the smell! The smell was the worst. Miku had only been gone for less than a week and already was it dying. Kaito, that had asked her back the ordinary work of a flesh crafter, was sure that she had never mentioned any work where flesh was cut out to rot - it was contrary to the philosophy of a flesh crafter, that said that nothing should be put to waste.

He could feel his stomach threatening to spill out his dinner yet he couldn't bring himself to tear himself away from what he saw. So great was his shock that he looked through everything, desperate for proof that might make everything that he saw there crystal clear. But not to avail. With each new finding, the cremating oven, the sullen tools, even the scribbles on the papers that he found, all pointed to one explanation: Miku was conducting research in this underground, research that had every reason to remain a secret.

What that might be, Kaito had no idea. Her full research notes were probably stored elsewhere, in a safe whose key Kaito didn't have. There was still a shimmer of hope, he thought, that it might all be explained by what he would find in those notes. Miku couldn't be the true author of all the horrible things he saw or, if she was, she had a very good reason to do so.

He sat down again, gathering his thoughts. Certainly he was overreacting. He was not yet thinking like a demon. Of course, such a sight as spilled guts and limbs in jars might be horrifying to him, but he lived in a place where they commonly ate the severed limbs of the damn. Any older demon wouldn't even bat an eye, right?

But then why would she hide with a secret entrance behind a shelf? Why never mention it? And the smell... The more he focused on it, the strangest it was. It was the one of rotting, sure, but also of magic. What was she doing to this flesh? Was it working?

There was one last door and he wasn't sure he wanted to go open it. It stood all the way on the other side of the room, in darkness that even the light crystals didn't reach. He was scared to go touch it. After all he had seen, he didn't want to see if things could get worse. He didn't want that but he knew that if he didn't look he would never know. He had followed that stupid dream, he had to get to the bottom of it.

He got up from his seat and walked to the door. It opened with a long moan, painfully slowly. Kaito stared down into unlit depth, depth that remained plunged in darkness when he attempted to turn the lights on. Very well then.

His steps were uneasy as he progressed. Somehow, the light from the room he had just left seemed to be sufficient for him to advance without tripping over his own feet. However, they were deep openings on each side of the tunnel, with bars to prevent anyone from accessing them. Were those... cells?

There was a trembling sigh in the dark.

Kaito stilled and held his breath. He heard it then, the shuffling coming from the darkness ahead and the quiet exhales. There was someone in this cell, someone that was sleeping. Was this another monstrosity like the damned that Miku used for her flesh crafting? Or something else? Would it report his presence to Miku?

He stayed there, absolutely still, for what felt an eternity, before deciding that if it was going to do something it would have acted already. He mustered the courage to push forward. He could tell that he was going to have nightmares about this place already.

Slowly, step by step, he passed the place where the breathing was the strongest. He saw nothing in the darkness, no matter how hard he squinted. He supposed that it was a cell and that he had stumbled across a prisoner. Thank Satan they seem to be sleeping. Why did Miku keep a prisoner?

He thought back to the spare body parts he had found in a previous room and decided that he didn't want to think about it.

There was barely enough light at the end of the gallery to see that there was yet another door. Eager to get out of the creepiest place he had been in yet, he pushed it open and slipped into the room beyond. Somehow, he knew that this would be the last one he would visit.

He took a deep breath in the dark before turning on the light.

"You came," said a voice.

Kaito jumped, looked up, and screamed.

There, across the ceiling, was a demon that hung there, pinned in place by hooks in his skin like a great butterfly. His limbs were chopped off and suspended next to him, and his head was cut from his head, with only pulsing veins linking the two. But the most terrifying part was that he was looking straight at Kaito. In that state, with blades in his body, cut to slices like meat at the butcher, he was alive.

"Don't leave!" he cried. "I've waited years for an occasion to talk to you. Please. Please don't leave."

Kaito couldn't tear his eyes away from the demon and was breathing hard. He felt like he was about to faint. He wished he would, and then that he would wake up in his bed, only to realize that all this was just a horrible nightmare.

"I'm sorry you need to see me like this," said the other. "I usually don't do dismemberment for a first date."

He chuckled. Kaito didn't feel like laughing.

"Sorry, that was a bad one. I'm not the best one when it comes to jokes."

"What. The. Fuck," said Kaito, having finally found his words back. "What the fuck."

"It's a long story. I'm Saowen by the way."

Kaito, figuring that he seemed to have accidentally struck a conversation, tried to ignore the whole cut limbs part and only focus on Saowen's face. He had it very beautiful, with full, sensual lips and high cheekbones, disturbingly perfect in its proportions. He had an extra eye in the middle of the forehead and horns but, apart from that, he looked like an angel. This was the type of face you would expect as a statue in a church. Kaito was fascinated.

"I suppose, from your lack of reaction, that Miku never told you about me," continued Saowen. "That's almost insulting."

"Who... who are you?"

"Good question. I used to be Miku's master, although I might have fallen in grace..."

Kaito's eyes widened and he looked at him more carefully. She had spoken of her master, although she had never mentioned his name. She had spoken about how he was of the old race of demon the true race...

"Seems you *have* heard of me," said Saowen. He sounded sad. "If you are looking for my wings, that's the first thing she cuts away when they grow back. If they grow back at all... I barely have the energy to regenerate them anymore. I know that I look very unimpressive like this--"

"Miku didn't do that to you," blurted Kaito.

Saowen's face hardened. "Oh yes, she did this all, I promise you, and more. I'm sorry that your dear master isn't the type of person you thought she was."

"That's impossible." Kaito slowly leaned against the door and slipped down until he was sitting on the ground. "She's against violence to solve your problems. She's against-- she doesn't want this." He gestured to all of Saowen. "She saved me. She saved me from... Gakupo."

"Well, to your credit, she fooled me too, and that's how I found myself in this mess." Saowen's voice was softer, as if he was trying to pat Kaito's head with it since his hands were pinned on the ceiling. "It's painful, humiliating and disgusting. And she's the one that convinced me that it would all be for some grand purpose... an advance in magic! A body that is served in several parts yet alive as a whole. This was supposed to be *our* project. There's no doubt about who it belongs to now - to think that I, Saowen, would become nothing but a test subject..."

"How did she... How did this even happen? You are an ancient demon, right? She always spoke about your great powers."

Saowen had a small laugh. "Turns out that being several millenniums old doesn't make you immune to trickery... although one could argue that this result simply ended up being an unfortunate turn of events. Anyhow, I was caught because I was too arrogant, I thought that Miku could never pose me any threat. I've always been obsessed with this idea that you could still control a severed limb, ever since an accident with my brother... but that would be for another story. Miku was the first student with whom I had wanted to share my flesh crafting knowledge, and when her teaching was complete she continued to grow as a master. There were even rumors that she was surpassing me in my art... So, doing my best to hide my growing jealousy, I went to her to ask for her help in my ultimate project."

"Wait, if you were jealous why did you--"

"I've had _many_ hours to think over where I had it wrong, child," snapped Saowen. "And I don't want to lose too much time explaining my reasons to you. You'll have to be smart enough to guess them or leave them as it is."

"A-all right..."

"As I was saying, I confided in her about my project and she was overjoyed at the prospect of taking part in it. But she did tell me that me, being the strongest demon, would be the ultimate test subject for this and that we - she still used the 'we' at the time - would have more chances of succeeding if wed did it so. I agreed, and then I did my stupidest mistake yet. I forbade my brother to come looking for me, telling him that I would be taking some time away from all company in nature. Of course, he didn't like that, we had a fight but, in the end, he agreed, thinking that this would be the best for me. He agreed out of love! He should have locked me in his basement in chains until I had forgotten those foolish ideas.

So I came here to Miku's house, in hiding. She had already prepared the underground for the purpose of our experiments, or so she told. I suspect she had always wanted a hiding place like this one so that she could do whatever she wanted to do in peace. Never trust someone with a basement that big, or anything larger... actually forget that last advice, that would include my brother too.

For the first few months, everything was fine, until I decided that I didn't want to play that game anymore. She was too rough with me, too neglectful, and I wanted out. That's where she showed her true face - a face of absolute hate. She had always detested me, or the fact that I was more experienced than her in her art, that I was an ancient demon and that she wasn't... I simply had never noticed. She had kept that hate hidden all those years until I left my own life in her hands like a fool. She locked me in here and told me that I would never see the light of day again, since I dared disagree with her, and all tentatives of negotiating with her further were of no use.

"Many uninteresting years passed since then, until she did something extraordinary: she took a student. At first, I thought that she would form you as a flesh crafter but it turned out that, with me here, it would be too much of a risk. So I waited... and when you were alone, without anyone to hinder your movements, I sent a dream for you. I can still do that at least - even if I won't be able to use any fancy magic for a while, with how tired I am."

"So you are--"

"Yes, it's me that guided you here. You sure took your sweet time walking all the way down here."

"So you can see what is happening in the house?"

"Well, not exactly, but since there is nothing to do I have sharpened my magical sense until nothing can happen in the rooms above me without me knowing."

Kaito blushed deeply.

"Look," replied Saowen, embarrassed as well. "I tried not to pay too attention when you were masturbating. You're pretty but not my type, that just makes things awkward."

"That's... thank you," mumbled Kaito.

"But that is not what I wanted to talk about. Certainly, I didn't make you come all the way here to look into your pretty-- Wow your eyes are really blue, did she do something to them?"

"No, not that I am aware of, I've always had them like that."

"That's fascinating. I would have loved working on a subject like you. I miss flesh crafting and it's made even worse by the fact that it's being done right under my nose every day." He sighed. "I need to get out of here, obviously. You are the key to that."

Kaito looked at him with uncertainty. "I... wouldn't know how to stitch you back together--"

"Not like that, you idiot," snapped Saowen. "You are like a scurrying little mouse to me in this situation. Trying to get me out now is doomed to get both of us in trouble. You need to go get help, and the most fitting help in this situation would be to warn my brother. If he had but an inkling of an idea of what is happening here... he wouldn't lose a moment, and _he_ has the ability to get me out without being caught himself."

"All right, who is he?"

"His name is Darden."

Kaito blinked twice, trying to recall if he had ever heard that name before.

"You don't even know him? Doesn't Miku tell you anything about any important demons?" cried Saowen, exasperated. "I know that he's still out there doing what he does, he can't have been made into a nobody in fifteen years!"

"I... I really don't know who he might be."

"Me, I get it, but Darden?" muttered the suspended demon. "This is worse than I thought, but I suppose I'll have to work with that."

"I'm sorry I really can't carry that message..."

"You can't what? Oh, you stupid little child! Of course you are going to bring him the message, I don't care if you don't know who he is! I haven't been tortured for the last fifteen years to have some newborn demon tell me that he can't transfer a message because he doesn't know my brother's name!"

"I'm sorry..."

"I thought that Miku would be choosing a student that has at least some ability to improvise a solution, smart as she is! Really, you ought to get a grip of yourself."

"I'll try my best."

"Your best? You really don't realize what I am offering you here, right?"

Kaito looked at Saowen in shock. He was a demon tied up to the ceiling in a basement. Why was he talking about opportunities now?

"Oh dear..." said Saowen. "Listen, I don't expect you to do that for free. I am a powerful demon, in case you haven't guessed as much, even if I am an Ancient under the rule of the Seven. Get me out of her and you shall be handsomely rewarded. I might even make you my servant if you prove to be any smarter than what I have demonstrated so far... that's supposed to be an exceptional opportunity for someone as young as you, by the way."

"Right."

"And that doesn't even count for the fact that my brother will also be grateful and is also quite powerful. If you have any ambition, you will see that this is the opportunity to rise up quickly, even above your master's station. And the task is quite easy: find my brother, tell him where I am, and you're done. Of course, if you delivered me yourself, I would have been under the obligation of taking you as my lover, as per our tradition..."

"What?"

"Exactly! You would have the immense privilege of being the only one that pleases me and - oh dear, after fifteen years without a single tender touch I'd say that you have a lot of work to sate me entirely. But that won't be happening, since it's plain as day that you don't have the capacity to smuggle me out. Although now that I think of it... I might still express my gratitude to you by letting you touch me."

Kaito didn't know how he felt about a disembodied head flirting with him but still blushed, for some reason. "I thought I wasn't your type?"

"I said that because your aura is weak and that you aren't the brightest, but come to think of it that makes it all the more tempting to dominate you."

Something about the way Saowen was looking at Kaito reminded him of Gakupo. Specifically, this looked a lot like the way he would look at Kaito when he was thinking of embarrassing him by making him flustered. It was a look that went all over his body, as if trying to determine which part of it will be eaten first.

"I have to admit that Miku did a good job on you, she really made your proportions pleasing."

"I... She said she barely worked on my human form at all, and she mostly focused on creating a demon one for me..." Kaito didn't say that the only thing she changed in him was his ass, that it might be 'more proportionate to his legs,' as she put it.

"Oh, so it's all natural? That makes it even more interesting..." Saowen seemed to suddenly realize that he was losing track of the conversation. "Although you will obviously have to wait that I am out of this situation to reap your reward..."

Kaito bit his lip, a little hesitant. Saowen noticed his indecision and sent him an annoyed look.

"What now?" asked the bound demon.

"Well, I don't want to offend you but... sir, I'm not into men."

Saowen blinked a few times, taken aback. "Oh. Oh, I forgot that you are young. Don't worry, it always comes at some point. By the time you'll be two hundred years old, you'll be doing both sides like the happiest little swing. That's one of the best effects of being immortal if you ask me. I can wait until then. I can always change gender too, but my breasts are always so heavy when I do so..."

"I think that it's best that we focus on getting you out of here first." Five years of living in isolation among servants and professors had made Kaito sensitive to such advances and he was very red in the face.

"Right! That's probably the first sensible thing you said. There might be hope for you yet. I suppose that I have convinced you to serve my cause?"

"Yes." Kaito nodded vigorously. "I will do all that is in my power to help, though I don't really expect a reward..."

"Oh, how adorably noble of you... it makes me want you even more. Unless that's the forced celibacy speaking."

"I think that must be it. Sir." Kaito didn't know if the title was appropriate. He didn't want to take any risks now that he had discovered how important Saowen really was.

"Regardless, I think that it is time for you to leave. It's getting early outside, and you wouldn't want the servants to find your bed empty."

Kaito nodded in agreement. "Will you be okay?" he asked.

"Oh... you worry for me? I will most certainly take you to bed now, even if that means I'll be the first man you touch. But I will be fine. She's merciful and used anesthesia when she works on me. Not that it lessens the humiliation any less... it used to be painful but now that I am no longer able to regenerate myself, the pain is dulled."

Kaito, red in the face as Saowen was still talking about sleeping with him, nodded once more. "I best be going. Goodnight sir."

Saowen chuckled. "Goodnight."

To find himself in the dark again felt a little strange to Kaito, Everything felt strange to him now. He was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn't take any precautions as he walked back, and that's why he was surprised.

"Miku?" asked a voice.

He almost cried out. He had forgotten the other prisoner, the one he had passed before when they had been sleeping. Terrified, he turned around and stared into the darkness of the cell. Anything could be hiding in there.

He didn't have to wait long. Emerging from the pitch back came two sullied arms, that gripped the bars of the cell, and a face. Kaito winced soundlessly when he saw it: the prisoner's eyes had been torn out freshly. In its place was nothing but a red, pulsing pulp from which they would eventually regenerate.

"Miku, please don't go," said the prisoner. A woman. "Please, please let me out. You have what you want from me now, right?" The poor thing touched her face, her mangled flesh. "I want to go home. I'm cold, I'm hungry."

Kaito didn't answer. He only closed his own eyes, that he might not look at her anymore. Maybe there was more to this story than what he knew. Maybe that person was a bad person, that had done enough wrong that it might justify her current condition. He still couldn't stop himself from thinking that this treatment was needlessly cruel.

"Please," she begged.

He turned away without a word. It was for the best that she thought that he was Miku. He reasoned like a demon: he would gain nothing from telling her, he would even risk being discovered.

So he left and ignored her cries for help.


	31. Disillusions

Of course, with all that had happened that night, Kaito didn't find sleep easily. He thought that he would never, but he found himself awakening when reddish rays of the bleeding sun peeked through his curtains. He had no memory of falling asleep and he had been blessed with a dreamless night - surely, after all, he had seen, he could hope for nothing but nightmares. So deep had been his sleep that he had not heard the servants bring him a basin of water but he was grateful for it. He washed away some of the worries of the night with it, or so he thought, for they came galloping back as soon as he stepped out of his room for breakfast.

Having nothing to do, with his preceptor Nirron gone, he found something to read and told himself that this was what he was going to do, but he had so much to think about that he quickly realized that it was foolish. He decided that a walk was in order instead.

There were creatures in the forest around the house that could pose a threat, or so he had been told. He took a sword and a magic pistol with him. He wasn't very strong but he knew how to use them, the sword from his human life and the pistol from the lessons he had received in the last five years. With the latter, he didn't need bullets but he would have to be careful not to use too much magic, being still quite young as he was.

Come to think of it, he had not learned quite as much magic as he thought he would. Miku seemed to have been more concerned with etiquette, dancing, and singing, all things that were done in good society. That was strange. Why keep him here, in isolation, and not even talk about someone as important as Darden? Was that Darden as important as Saowen had said he was, or was Miku purposefully saying nothing about him?

Now that he had discovered the truth about what she did in her basement, Kaito wasn't sure what to think anymore. She had been his safe haven ever since she had taken him from Gakupo. Sure she was a bit strange sometimes, but he never had had a reason to distrust him. Heck, he even liked her.

But how quickly she had turned on her own master! Saowen certainly was a little... flirty but he seemed like a good demon, better than most at least. Nothing in the world could justify the treatment he had gotten from her. Or could it? Had he really told Kaito the truth? Surely, if he really wanted to get out, he could lie to him...

Not that Kaito could walk away from this situation, but he wasn't any demon, ready to obey the moment a promising offer was made to him. Surely there was more to the situation than what he knew, Miku wouldn't just... use someone like that. Whatever was the case, he needed to know more. He couldn't allow himself to make a mistake now.

And the worse mistake he could make, surely, was to act rashly. There would be no climbing on a proud horse's back to run off, seeking this Darden he didn't know. That was only fit for a foolish fiction.

This was, in brief, the conclusion he came to as he went through his favorite circuit. He saw no other creatures than some birds, their wings fluttering like sparks from a flame in the light of the day. When he came back to Miku's home, however, he felt his heart freeze in his chest: there was her carriage, sitting in front of her door, and the servants were discharging her stuff.

He quickly went over his nightly visit, if he had forgotten anything that might indicate that he had gone through the heavy metal door. Finding nothing, he chided himself for being so scared. If he gave her no indication that he had done anything wrong, she wouldn't suspect him. Surely she wouldn't hurt him.

He had a vision of the other prisoner he had met down there, the blind woman. A shudder trailed a cold, cold finger down his back. He best watch his back, just in case.

He moved inside, trying to appear nonchalant. Miku was supervising the unpacking with a strict eye. She was the same as she was five years ago, except for the missing arm. When Kaito had asked her what had happened to it, she told him to never ask any question. He was still curious about it, although he had grown used to the cape she now carried to drape her stump.

He tried to salute her as if everything was normal.

"Master Hat--"

"Where is Nirron?" she asked.

"Nirron?" Kaito's heard dropped in his chest. He knew that tone. She was angry.

"Yes, Nirron. I pay him so that he assures your protection during walks. Why isn't he with you?"

"That... well, there was an emergency... His child was sick."

"Very well." She turned to Daisy, that had just appeared at her side by what seemed to be pure coincidence. "Daisy, send someone back to town. Let Nirron know that there is no point coming back."

"Very well mistress."

"Wait, you are firing him?" exclaimed Kaito. "But he needed to go back! His child was sick!"

"I believe he made that child with someone, has he not? Or maybe she was busy with her next lover, as demons do. Himself must have taken some liberties with servants of the masters he served over the years, it's only natural that she would do it. Is that child even his?"

Kaito was speechless. It was the first time that he had heard her say such words, or so he thought. He suddenly realized that it wasn't, that she had said those things about other demons over the years. He had just believed her when she had told them.

She seemed to notice his shock and she shook her head. "You've grown attached to him, haven't you? Fool. Demons, unless you are sure of the education, can't be trusted. You can never grow too attached to anyone in this world, not even your friends."

"Nirron was a good man," said Kaito. He knew it wouldn't change her mind. He felt stupid. "Not all demons are the same."

"Oh, Kaito, Kaito, Kaito..." She shook her head. "Of course they are. Who are you to tell me otherwise? Have you met them all?"

"No but--"

"No is the only answer I need, Kaito," she interrupted. "So young. So protected. Maybe it is time that I fired him regardless of what he did. You can't be sheltered your entire life."

"But he doesn't deserve--"

"Don't annoy me with some senseless rambling now," she said, a warning in her voice.

Kaito didn't say anything further, afraid. He blushed in rage and shame. To think that he would give up so easily - out of fear! He knew that what she was doing wasn't right. He also knew what she was capable of now. Lex Infernis, he thought. To think that he would one day have to take a decision according to this law...

"You're sad he won't be coming back," she said. Her voice was softer.

"It's fine, it's nothing," he replied quickly.

"Ah, Kaito..." She shook her head. "I should have known. Your mistake is forgiven. However, you should soon learn to control who you grown attached to, and how to withdraw that attachment at a moment's notice. No one needs defective servants."

"I understand."

She nodded, satisfied, then turned around, walking further into the house.

"Follow me," she called. "There are more important matters we need to talk about."

For a second, foolishly, Kaito thought that she was going to mention his nightly escapade. He chased the thought away. He was becoming paranoid. He followed her to the living room, where they both sat in front of a roaring fire.

"Since Daisy will be taking care of that other business," she said, "let us focus on more joyous perspectives. Kaito, prepare yourself: tomorrow evening you will be making your debut."

He tilted his head, intrigued. This was the first time he was hearing about such a plan for himself. A debut? As in, the debut of a career? What sort of career might that be?

"I have gotten invitations to a very important ball," she continued, "one that we thought would never happen again after the host had been living a little retired from everyone for a while now. Everyone will be there. It will be primordial that you make a good impression."

That made Kaito nervous just thinking about it. "Everyone?" he repeated. That sounded like a lot.

"Everyone. It is Darden's ball after all."

Kaito's eyes widened. Saowen's brother.

"What's with the face?" she asked, having caught his expression. The way she saw with no eyes could be a little creepy sometimes. "The name is familiar?"

"Ah, yes," said Kaito. "I've heard it already."

"Heard it? From where? I don't believe that I have ever mentioned it to you."

"Well... Then it must have been Gakupo talking about it," he answered as nonchalant as he could. "He probably wanted to fuck him."

"Typical," she answered. "You would have to be Gakupo to imagine that's a good idea. As if Darden would even look at him, an ex-human and a filthy prostitute. Darden is an Ancient, he has standards."

"What is he like?" asked Kaito.

She pushed her lips together, thinking. "Eccentric. That's how people describe him, mostly. Some might say unpredictable, but they whisper those words. He's powerful, that's for sure. The only thing you need to know is that he'll further our plan considerably."

"Our plan? What plan?" asked Kaito.

"The plan that is going to the ball and charm people. The simplest would be that you charm the host himself, but I suppose that this might be too ambitious for the first evening."

"Charm him?" repeated Kaito. "I can't charm a soul. For crying out loud, I had one wife and she left me!"

"Yes, I know, but that was years ago. I've given you teachers to correct your faults, have I not?"

"Yes, you have, but..."

"Behave gracefully and people will be charmed." She shrugged.

That's when Kaito realized that she had no idea what it meant to charm someone. It was so much more than that. It was a science of smiles and listening to the other, it was about detecting what they liked and disliked. It was a science Gakupo excelled at. Whatever she wanted to charm Darken for, she would not succeed. Nor would Kaito. He just knew enough to know that he was doomed from the start.

Oh well. At least he had something else to focus on at this ball.

"I've brought back some clothes for you to wear at the ball," she said. "Daisy! Bring over Kaito's parcel."

Daisy, that had reappeared just at that moment, bowed and left to execute her mistress's order.

"But," said Kaito, "you've already furnished me with the appropriate clothes--"

"The fashion changed. I've had those made in town to accommodate it. You won't be seducing anyone if you don't dress accordingly."

"Seduce?" That was a step above charming. "I can't seduce anyone!"

She paused and looked in his direction. With her face half-hidden by her veiled hat, it was hard to tell her expression, but she seemed to be thinking.

"Kaito, you remember Allacard's slums, don't you?"

Kaito nodded. Although he had only gone through them once five years ago, he recalled the misery he had witnessed vividly. On top of that, if one looked in Allacard's direction from the balcony of the house, one could see them on the horizon, spread out like a dark aura around the star-shaped center of the city. It was a dreadful place.

"A lot of demons, that had been raised in rich households, end up there because they are not willing to do what it takes to stay afloat. You must understand, right now, I am doing everything I can to see that you succeed but you can't expect me to continue helping you forever."

"But how will seducing people help me? Wouldn't it be better if I was taught a job? Like flesh crafting? Or maybe that I became a singer... I'd love to become one."

She sighed.

"Have I said something wrong?"

"There are still so many things you must learn," she slowly said, as if she was talking to a child. "Flesh crafting at your age is out of the question. As for singer..." She chuckled. The small laugh was like a knife plunged in Kaito's chest. "I've entertained this wish of yours to learn, but it's clear that you don't have what it takes to become one."

"What? But... I've done the exercises every day, just like you said, and Nir-- I mean, I've had people tell me that I have talent..."

"Flattery. Vile flattery. By the way, it's an excellent way to get what you want from people. Beware of those that use it on you. You have no talent - nothing exceptional, at least. Forget that dream. It will only weaken you."

Kaito looked down at his feet. He felt like a fool that he had lured himself into his own lies. Everyone knew that Miku was a great singer. If she told him he couldn't make it, then he really couldn't.

"I can only teach you so much, and that is why you must have other demons teach you what you really excel at. Soon, you will find your spot among them, all you need to do it to convince them that they want to help you. As simple as that. Any more questions?"

Kaito shook his head. This was the honesty he knew Miku for, but it still stung. He had thought that singing was going to be what he was going to do for a living because that's what he loved. Not that he had talked to her about it until now. He wanted it to be a surprise. She loved singing, he thought that she would be delighted to learn that this was what he wanted to do too.

"Mistress," said Daisy.

She carried a parcel. Kaito's brows rose when he read "Elind and the Ribbons" on it. What a strange coincidence. Miku had the same tailor as Gakupo.

"Very good. Kaito, please go change, and show us how it fits," said Miku.

Kaito got up quietly and went to take the parcel from Daisy's hands. The doll demon smiled at him kindly. Her smile, somehow, didn't read her eyes. He ignored her and went into the hallway for some privacy.

When he walked back in, he was very red in the face.

The fabric was soft and flexible but never had he worn anything to skin-tight, when it covered his skin at all; his chest was uncovered all the way down to above his nipples yet there was a band of cloth around his neck, like a collar. There was a strip of fishnet on the side of his leg that went from his ankle to his hip.

"Go back," said Miku. "You are not supposed to wear any underwear beneath."

Kaito turned even redder, tried to mutter something, failed to make any sense, and retreated back to the hallway.

"Oh Seven Lords," he muttered when he put his pants back on. The fabric slipped snuggly between his ass cheeks no matter how much he fretted over it. He couldn't go back in there looking like this. Beat red, he stayed prostrated in the hallway, too embarrassed to think of anything.

"Kaito! We don't have all day," called Miku from within.

One painfully small step after the other, Kaito shuffled back into the living room. He felt worse than naked: he was on display.

"If you dare slouch like that at the ball, we might as well not go," said Miku. "Turn around."

Kaito straightened and mustered all his courage to turn around. He felt Miku's gaze on him, cold and evaluating. When he had done a full turn, he noticed that she seemed satisfied with what she saw, but barely.

"This will have to do. Now, change back before you damage it and pack your bags. We are leaving tomorrow, early in the morning."


	32. Doubts

"Anya, pull tighter," said Gakupo, looking at himself in the mirror.

"If I pull any tighter, you are going to break a rib," she chided. "Your waist in fine. You'll have the thinnest one of the entire ball anyway, what do you want more?"

"What is a hornet without its thin waist?" replied Gakupo. He turned around, examining himself under every angle. "A fat bumblebee, that's what it is."

Anya laughed. "You're not fat, trust me. You're thinner than me."

Gakupo ignored her, tapping his corset. It was a little hard to breathe but he was used to it. And he had those wonderful skin-tight pants from Elind and the Ribbons - they had become a must, if one could afford them. He was proud of his old friend for having managed to create such a fabric, so soft and stretchy it molded itself to any leg. He had chosen the black model with lace opening on the front of the thighs, the ones that the *All'Gazette* said was meant for the more experienced courtesans like him. Lastly, Gakupo was known for his high, fluffy collars, so he would be wearing one tonight: his shirt, if such a word could be applied to the vaporous clothe tucked into his corset, had one made of feathers, so thick it looked like a bola that could hide all of his neck.

All this, he decided, did suit his demon form quite strikingly. Too bad that his waist couldn't be thinner. It must be the pants, he decided, he missed this added thickness on the hips that would make the contrast more striking. Fashion was a troublesome thing.

"I will have to go for another visit at the beautifier," he said as he rearranged his braid to the other shoulder. Right or left? Did one suit him better?

Anya sighed heavily. "You are wasting your money. They will tell you the same thing as they always did, that there isn't a thing they can change to make you prettier without damaging your physical condition."

"Humpf. You are no fun."

"And you have too much money for your own good. You need to get another pupil."

At those words, Gakupo turned around in surprise, looking at his maid with wide eyes. She shrugged.

"That's what all demons in your situation do. It would get your head out of your own ass a little and give you something else to do than worry about..." she gestured to him. "Your waist!"

"Maybe... Maybe I could do that. Or maybe I won't."

"Suits yourself," she said. "I'm just suggesting."

Gakupo sighed and walked to his bed to sit down. He realized he still wanted to talk about it. This pupil idea was fun to muse with.

"I just... I would be too picky for a pupil. They would have to be exactly as I envision them."

"And what would that be?" asked Anya. She wasn't really interested. She just liked when she could talk as she was cleaning up, and right now she was picking the many changes of clothes that had been spread across the room from their earlier fitting session.

"They would have to want to be a courtesan like me, of course, because that's what I am going to form them for. It would be very interesting for the clients too. But I don't want them to be too... I don't know how to say it."

"Too strong-headed?"

"Well, that too, but not that." Gakupo flopped backward on the sheets. "I think I mean innocent. You know, the type Rin went for at the beginning of her career. But it wouldn't be an act."

"And they want to become a courtesan?" There was disbelief in her voice. "How can someone fit both innocent and lewd at the same time?"

"Well I mean, they would want it, but they wouldn't want it... Maybe they would be too proud to admit it."

"Ah." She thought about it. "Like Kaito."

"No!"

Anya turned to him, her arms full of clothes. She looked unimpressed by his lie.

"Maybe like him," admitted Gakupo. "But he's gone anyway."

"If there is one Kaito out there, there are most likely others like him anyway."

"But they wouldn't..."

There was a silence.

"They wouldn't... what?" prompted Anya.

"They wouldn't be the same."

"And what did Kaito have that others didn't have?"

"He was just so fun to upset. And he thought so highly of himself and his morals. What soul going to hell still believes in good and bad? There will never be anyone like Kaito again."

Anya rolled her eyes and returned to her tidying. "You're just too lazy to look."

"I *know* that there will never be anyone like that ever again."

"Oh, Lucifer Almighty... Don't tell me you reject looking for new pupils because you're not over the last one you had. It's been five years. He's gone."

"I am entirely over him. I didn't even really like him. I'm just saying that if I would want another pupil I would want one him."

"One exactly like him, you mean."

"One that shares certain qualities with him that makes him a bit more... exciting. I'm so bored of your usual courtesan apprentice."

"Whatever my dear master says, I guess," she said in a sing-song voice.

He found himself smiling. She was probably right but he didn't want to admit it out loud; that would be against his pride. He wondered if he would get to see Kaito tonight. He hoped he would, even from afar. After all, everyone was invited to the Darden ball.

 

"You look lovely," said Ollmith as he climbed in her open cart. "I have big expectations for you tonight."

Gakupo laughed. "I should have known that this was why you outbid everyone for my company, Duchess. Who will I be beating up?"

"Oh, too soon, too soon," she replied, waving her hand. She patted the side of the cart and the coach pushed the infequids to a leisurely pace. "I'll tell you what it is about when we get there. For now, come closer, and let me enjoy some alone time before we miss the opportunity."

Gakupo sat next to her, under her arm. The Duchess and he understood each other. If they got into anything, it was to win, and they often did win because they gave it their all. It was the only demon with dominant tendencies he accepted in his clientèle for that very reason.

They discussed various things as they traveled the evening streets. Gakupo had learned how to talk with clients outside of more serious activities during evenings such as this one and prided himself to be a fairly good conversationalist. Ollmith, at least, didn't seem to be complaining about it. If she really wanted to employ his tongue to the fullest, they wouldn't be talking, but then she wouldn't have chosen an open cart.

They left the red district, where all things exciting happened, and moved to the high end of Allacard's residential area. Here was nothing but beautiful houses, so expensive they might be from anywhere in hell. Only the most disgustingly rich demons could afford to live in those houses and, while Gakupo was rich, those were the people that could afford to have him come to them every day of the week.

Gakupo was quite well acquainted with this neighborhood.

They arrived near the place of the ball and had to slow down. There was a small crowd there, that was politely trying to arrange itself to come in. Ollmith stopped her cart and stepped up.

"We'll walk the rest of the way."

She was already was looking through the crowd for something in particular as she said that, as if looking for someone. Gakupo slipped to her side quickly, curious. She shook her head.

"They are not there, but the rumors about them have to be true."

"The rumors about whom, Duchess?"

"Remember that sweet former pupil of yours?" She asked.

"Kaito?"

He remembered that she had seen Kaito, once, when she had come over. She had been very interested in him, that was for sure. And he, the idiot, had not moved away from her or given her any indication that he didn't want it.

"I certainly remember, especially since it's said that Miku will be coming with him tonight, presenting him as a débutante."

"A débutante?" He had heard of those rumors of course, as she had, but hearing that term applied to Kaito surprised him. "I see. And so, what do you want with him?"

"Why, I want you to bring him to me."

Gakupo rose his brows.

"I simply want to examine him. I don't want to go to court with Miku for breaking into him without paying."

"Oh, I wasn't questioning that," said Gakupo. "You are an honest woman. I'm just wondering how I am going to achieve that. Knowing Miku, she'll be keeping her eyes on her prize the whole time." He paused. "Like she did for me."

"I still think that an occasion might present itself tonight. When it does, I count on you to snatch it and fight off any other courtesan that might try to do the same. Everyone wants to take a closer look at him."

"I see. If such an occasion presents itself I will rise to it."

"If only courtesans had the permission to fight other demons... ah, I think that is her."

A carriage had just passed them, gloomy and imposing. It stopped in front of the steps of the house and Daisy hopped off the back to open the door. Miku stepped out slowly, as if this occasion was a grave one and not a fancy ball, before she turned around to wait for someone in the carriage to come out.

"Come on Kaito, step out. You are attracting attention already."

Thanks to his enhanced hearing, Gakupo didn't miss a single word from the conversation, even if they stood quite some distance away. He shivered when he heard the name of Kaito. There he was, after five years, his murderer. The way Kaito used to look at him, that wide-eyed, half scared, half aroused look, came rushing back. Would he still behave the same as he used to? Or had he grown into a completely different person?

He didn't have to wait any longer. Hesitantly, Kaito set one foot on the ground, then another. Gakupo saw right away with he was so red in the face: he wore a shirt and some pants from Elind. He chuckled to himself. He remembered that time where he almost forced Kaito to walk into the street naked. Right now he looked just like he did back then, except that Miku was clearly not the type that could be pushed to compassion.

"That's strange," said Ollmith.

"What is?" asked Gakupo.

"He's so shy. I expected Miku to provide him with some education as to how a courtesan aught to carry themselves. Like she did for you."

Gakupo laughed. "She didn't. I simply was never shy..." except when he had his old face, the one he had been born with. He shuddered at the memory. He had been a miserable rat back then. Thank Satan this was in the past.

"Then this is all his natural character? How interesting." She stroked her chin. "Do you think that she might show off his demon form tonight? Surely he has one now. She gave him the same ears as you have."

"Surely he does. Bets might be made. Maybe she'll make him dance to display it." Gakupo licked his lips. He'd love to see Kaito dance.

The latter had not seen him yet, unaware - or maybe too aware - that everyone was looking at him. His eyes were fixed upon the tip of his polished shoes as he followed his master inside.

"I need him," said Ollmith. "My intendant will toss a chair at my face when he's going to see the dent in my finances but he's too perfect."

Playfully, Gakupo huffed and rearranged his collar. "If that's how it is..."

She laughed. "Of course, I wouldn't be replacing you, but you are obviously very different people. Almost complementary, I think. If Kaito becomes a courtesan of some influence, I don't think that you will be endangering either of your appeal."

"Complementary..." repeated Gakupo. He watched Kaito disappear inside the house.

"Let us go inside. We can't lose them from sight."

Gakupo nodded.

But they weren't about to catch up, for they were stopped by Darden himself in the entrance hall.

"Olly!" He cried as he abandoned the demon he had been standing by to rush to her. "You came! I am so glad you decided to accept my invitation in the end."

Darden was a tall demon, even to Gakupo that had to look up to stare at him in the face. Everything about him was long and lean, down to the dagger-like claws on his fingers. It was almost impossible to distinguish how many wings he had, for they moved all the time in a great read flutter that trails behind him, especially when he spoke. He looked at his guests with his three eyes, but the one of his forehead didn't seem very interested and started to look at other things around him instead, sometimes following what interested him until it was completely turned around in its orbit and looking at it through his skull.

Ollmith laughed at his words. "Hello, Darden, it's so nice to see you. You know that I wouldn't want to miss this for anything in the world. Leviathan can wait for my return."

"I wouldn't want to upset her out of all people, with my whims" replied the night's host. "But I am glad that I can present you Eker myself. They are few people that I wished he met more than you, you know. Since that will be done soon... My lovely night kitten, come here. This is Ollmith herself, look."

Eker looked almost petite next to Darden but was in fact relatively tall himself. His skin was pitch black and his red robes quite striking on him because of it. Gakupo was a little perturbed by the fact that this demon had no eyes; nothing but smooth skin from the perk of his cute nose to the straight line of his hair. The courtesan didn't show what he thought and instead smiled at the newcomer invitingly - like each time he smiled while on the job.

"I've heard many good things about you," said Eker to Ollmith, bowing his head a little. "Even before meeting Darden, that is. I am very pleased to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine, I can assure you." Ollmith looked between Darden and Eker, grinning. "I look forward to getting to know the demon that drew my uncle out of his moping."

"Do not be fooled," said Darden, "I still think of my brother every day, and it is a pain to bear, as it always is. He is the best between the two of us, the one with the best heart. But I simply cannot keep a frown on when I am near Eker, so I keep him with me to drive my grief away--"

His lamentation was promptly interrupted by Eker stroking his cheek. "He is only on a journey, on his own, He's fine."

"But I miss him so much," replied Darden. "And he promised he would be giving me news. Where are my letters? Why are my souvenirs? I can't help but worry sick about him. It is as if something terrible happened to him and he disappeared from the face of the world."

Eker opened his mouth to speak but Darden continued before he could.

"I know, I know, nothing can happen to him. He is my brother, after all, and if someone would try to harm him surely we would know it from the sound of their fight alone. A demon as old as him can't be taken down like that. He's safe wherever he is. Let me indulge in my false presentiments. Shut up if you must."

"A presentiment? What sort of presentiment?" asked Ollmith.

"That Saowen is somewhere, tied up and hurt, that his powers are drained." Darden shrugged. "I get nightmares with visions of him sometimes as well. He is the only person in the world I cannot stand to imagine in this way, so my mind takes great pleasure in torturing him so. And here I am again, talking about him - I will only be healed when he comes back to me, as he should soon."

"I am sure that he will be fine," said Ollmith. "He's bound to come back someday, and that might be soon."

"Alas, it might also be in a very long time. What if he also found love, and forgot all about me wherever he is?"

"Impossible."

Darden sighed. "I must sound a little too gloomy for such a joyous occasion. Forgive me. Go, go have fun with the others, I'll cheer up eventually."

Ollmith smiled and bowed to him. "I hope that I might see you around, dear uncle."

She turned away, pulling Gakupo along. Eker drew Darden's face down and kissed his cheek, making the taller demon squeal and kiss him back passionately on the lips.

"I'm a little troubled by that presentiment he mentioned," said Ollmith when they had walked far enough not to be heard.

"How so? He said it himself that it had no reason to be true."

"He always forgets that his presentiments often come true. Just like he forgets what day of the week we are or what he had for dinner last night. But I remember. Besides, it's strange that Saowen isn't back yet. Fifteen years is a long time."

"I thought it didn't matter when you were as old as they are? They are not called ancient for nothing."

"Yes, but this is Saowen we are talking about. He's very... attached to his comfort. From what I have heard, he said that he was going to live in the forest in some removed location. If he laid a single toe in a city he would be instantly recognized, so he didn't come out of that place, where ever it might be. He might have held on a year, but fifteen?"

"So you think that he is a prisoner, like Darden said?"

"I don't think that. I'm simply suspicious." She looked back at Darden and Eker. They were laughing as they spoke with other guests. "I might have to look into it myself. If something really happened, a hundred years might go by before Darden starts looking."

Gakupo nodded. Saowen used to be Miku's master but they had never spoken face to face. Miku had mentioned him once or twice, but she had only expressed that she strongly admired the ancient demons in general. She often used them as a point of comparison with modern demons, that were all degenerates according to her. She had probably said the same thing to Kaito in the last five years.

Ollmith shook her head. "But all that can wait. For now, I really want you to focus on your mission and look pretty."

"That I can do," answered Gakupo.


	33. Darden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: contains open wounds gore.

Miku brought him within without sending anything more than a glance over her shoulder. He straightened his back at the best of his abilities and followed her despite his clothes. He could see some people around him wearing the same type of fabric as he did, but not all, and he wondered why that was if it was supposed to be fashion.

That didn't change the fact that he felt so many eyes on him. His embarrassment paralysed his thoughts but thankfully not his limbs; Miku would have not tolerated that, and he feared her more than public disgrace for now.

Even if he really, really, really wanted to run away screaming.

In an attempt to forget the crowd all around him, he examined the house in which they were all gathered. There was quite a bit to admire, in fact, he was awed by the host's obvious wealth. Who said wealth said power, especially in this world where everything could be bought, and who said power said Lex Infermum. He thought back to Saowen, the mission he had been given, and then Darden. It would be acting as a true demon pursue the reward that was promised. He wasn't sure he really liked that.

He was given enough information to recognize who was Darden when they passed him in the entrance. Miku stopped suddenly and bowed deeply in front of a tall, three-eyed demon with a mouth with too many sharp teeth and a dazzling number of wings. Kaito didn't stare too long before copying his master, making the highest display of respect he could with the manners he had been taught.

Darden lost interest in them mid-bow, rushing to talk to someone behind them. Miku didn't seem to mind that, she simply straightened herself and left. Kaito had no choice but to follow quickly.

"Do not leave my side," said Miku for the hundred times when they paused near the buffet.

There were drinks and food already served but she didn't seem interested in either and had just stopped there because everyone else did it. Kaito was a little hungry and was eyeing the plates of delicacies with envy, but he had been forbidden to touch them before they arrived. Something about any food he might eat being visible when his clothes were so tight. There was some meat, always, and this was what Kaito wanted most. He avoided looking at the other things though. Miku had never bothered getting him used to eat anything that didn't resemble human food. According to her, what demons found attractive was source of decadence. Could you call yourself civilized when to ate living bugs on sticks, eyes, infequid tongues and slurped worms with your alcohol? And Kaito had agreed with her, in theory, when they had discussed it. Now he realized that they seemed to be the only ones that thought so and felt a little stupid.

When they had waited long enough near the buffet, Miku started walking again. She didn't speak to anyone, she simply walked around the room once or twice, Kaito behind her. He wondered what she was doing. Didn't she have any relation in the city she wished to talk to? Surely she had some friends?

Apparently not. She was just walking, and they kept passing in front of groups gathered together, again and again. After the second passages, they started to interrupt their conversation to look at them. Kaito felt more and more eyes on him. He didn't like that.

Miku, after a while, seemed satisfied with it, and with no other explanation, she moved away from the main room to a smaller room. There were chairs and some people there, sitting and discussing among themselves. Miku ignored them entirely and focused on a maid that was standing there, at the guest's disposal.

"Can you play the piano?" she asked.

The maid smiled and nodded. "What would Madam like to hear?"

"Ibelium and Idrogeen," answered Miku, naming a song that Kaito quite liked despite the fact that it was rather difficult to sing.

Other demons were starting to notice and gain interest in what they were doing. There was the sound of chair feet scraping the floor as a circle of spectators formed around them. Kaito had no idea what was so interesting about the music being played. Couldn't they keep talking among themselves, instead of looking at them? He blushed when he felt gazes roam his exposed form. He didn't dare look at the crowd any more than that.

Suddenly, Miku turned to him.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"For what?"

"To sing, of course," she said as if that was obvious.

Kaito's mouth dropped open in shock. "Right here? Now?"

"Didn't I teach you the song?" she said in a slow voice, dumbing it down for him.

"Yes, but you said..."

"What did I say?"

That he had no talent for singing. "Nothing."

"Do good."

The maid started to play but Miku whipped around to her, interrupting her. "What are you doing? It's the wrong key," she spat. "And you are way to damn slow. Put some energy into it, your useless slut, before I do it myself."

Kaito looked around. The crowd around them felt dark and oppressing. He knew he couldn't do it, he couldn't even breathe properly. Miku suddenly slapped the maid, making some around them frown and others laugh. He wanted to tell her to stop, to not mistreat her like that, warn her that everyone was looking at her, but he knew she didn't care. Anyone that was beneath her was just a tool for her to use. And he couldn't do it.

He knew that he was going to be in big trouble for doing that, but he slowly backed away as she was distracted, fleeing the room and into the dancing room. She didn't see him and no one stopped him, even if some laughed again when they saw that.

He didn't see him, but Gakupo was sitting at the back. The moment Kaito parted with his master, he stood up without even taking his leave from Ollmith and followed him at a distance.

Music had started in the dancing room, from a group of professional musicians this time. Kaito stopped when he spotted Darden in the middle, dancing with the demon that had been by his side in the entrance. They were easily noticeable, being taller and with more wings than any other couple around them.

He needed to talk to him about his brother, although walking up to him now would be pretty inappropriate, he thought.

A violin started a high solo in the music and that was the sign for the couples to hold each other tighter. Kaito stayed on the side, creeping towards the buffet. He didn't dance and he felt self-conscious about it, so he was better off getting a glass of something to make it appear as if he was only taking a break.

Miku was right about the tight pants fashion, at least. There were a few others, some among the dancers, that were dressed like him. This did make him feel a little better, albeit not much.

His attention was suddenly caught again by Darden and the demon he was dancing with. With the song becoming more intense, so was their dance, and there was blood dripping down the black-skinned demon's back from where Darden had sunk his claws in him.

Kaito watched, unable to look away, terrified.

Darden's hands moved along the other's back, leaving gaping, bloody gashes that spurted blood. He opened his eyes wide and he sank his teeth in his prey's shoulder, his long, sharp teeth. His eyes were turned all the way back in his skull. Yet his lover didn't fight him, he was sinking his hand in his hair and moaning, encouraging him even. Other dancers watched on, some with glee, others intrigued. No-one stopped them.

Kaito gagged and finally tore himself away from the sight when a bone cracked and popped out of the wounds. He couldn't bear it, and it only was worth when more horrid sounds of flesh tearing and heavy pants reached him.

He fled the scene, chasing the cool air of the garden and its promises of tranquillity.

He passed a door and found himself in a gallery that was open on the night on one side, through elegant arches. There was a bench there and a fountain with a beheaded cupid pouring reddish water (if it was even water) from its cleaved neck. He usually would have been repulsed by the poor taste in decoration but even that was a welcome respite from the show he had been treated to.

This was the man he was going to betray Miku to was his first thought. A man that quite literally ripped through his own lover in public, one that... enjoyed statues of beheaded children! Demons might like irony, but wasn't anyone other than him reacting to such a display, or was that just expected of him?

What would he do if Kaito was to walk up to him and tell him that his brother is being sliced to Miku's content in her basement? Surely he would take her and destroy her, making Kaito responsible for whatever punishment she might receive. And could Kaito live with that on his conscious?

The thing was, he still loved Miku. She was strange and eccentric, maybe not as good as he had thought she was but did she have a choice in this world full of heartless demons? She needed to be harsh. She didn't deserve torture... Even if she did, who was Kaito to have a say in it? She had always been good to him. She had saved him from Gakupo, from the worse of all tortures, from Greedflower! She was working hard to make him into a real demon, one that could live independently in the world. That was why they were here in the first place! As a pupil, it was his duty to stand by her.

And he didn't even know that Saowen all that well. Heck, she could have a very valid reason to be holding him prisoner. Maybe he was a terrible person on the brink of destroying her. That night in the basement, he could have told Kaito anything he wanted for the sake of constructing a good sob story. Heck, he had loads of time down there to construct something plausible.

He won't involve himself in it. Right then, sitting on the edge of the fountain with the decapitated cupid, he thought that it would be fine if he just didn't get involved. Right?

"Well, well, look who we have here," said a voice.

A voice that Kaito, sometimes, heard in his dreams.

His head shot up and there was Gakupo, hands on hips, in his demon form, looking down on him with a knowing smile. There was no one else in the gallery, they were alone, and on his face was that smile he always had when he knew he had Kaito in the palm of his hand.

 


	34. On a Bench Near the Gardens

Five years is a long time to think about someone. Kaito had all the time in the world to look into himself and analyze his feelings so, of course, he didn't. Not too much, at least, it was far more comfortable to rag on him with Miku when he came up in a conversation. Gakupo was the source of all evil, he was the very representation of what was rotten in Allacard. He was selfish. He was self-serving. He ate sandwiches like they were going out of fashion tomorrow.

Kaito's heart was beating so hard in his chest that he was surprised that Gakupo had not commented on that yet. Just when he thought that he had grown immune to eyes roaming over his tight clothing, he felt his body come ablaze when the other did it. And when Gakupo licked his lips with _that look_ on his face... Kaito was back at eight Eden Street, feeling shy and weak as the master of the house teased him with what he couldn't have.

"Not even a hello for me?" With a few strides of his impossibly long legs, Gakupo put himself within touching distance. "My, it feels like we haven't spoken in forever yet you haven't changed one bit. How time flies. You look good enough to eat."

He licked his pointy fangs. Kaito remembered that Gakupo has a taste for demon flesh, he had eaten some in front of him. He needed to remember that before he got lost in those intense purple eyes again. All his efforts turned to smoke when Gakupo reached out to twine a bang of his blue hair between his fingers.

Kaito opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted.

"I know what you are going to say. "What do you want from me, you fiend?" I believe that Miku is quite found of "fiend", you probably picked that one up from her. To which I answer that I am on a mission but, seeing you... I'm torn now. Surely my client won't mind if I spend a bit more time retrieving you than needed."

Kaito's eyes widened. His first instinct was to get away but his shoulder found itself locked in an iron grip. Satan, he had forgotten how strong the man was. He should have been more cautious.

"Now now, no need to panic." Gakupo's voice was dark and dangerous. "You are not mine to hurt."

"Let me go."

"I'm afraid that can't be afforded--" He suddenly stopped talking and looked over his shoulder, listening. "Miku is coming. If she finds you with me, she will make you pay."

Before Kaito could protest, he was held close and pulled down, down on Gakupo as he laid on one of the benches. His lower hands rested on his waist, one of his upper one behind his head... and his legs wrapped around him, pressing Kaito against him. With the thin cloth they both wore, they might as well do that naked.

Kaito blushed deeply. He struggled - what else could he do? Miku was going to arrive any second. It was, of course, of no use, once more, but one didn't reason with panic.

"Gakupo!" suddenly cried Miku. "What in the world are you doing?"

Kaito froze. Gakupo used that small respite to draw him even closer, burying his face in his fluffy collar - right against his strong, warm chest. He wore perfume but the familiar scent of cinnamon and tobacco was still there, after all those years, as if welcoming him back.

"Stay right here against me," he whispered to Kaito.

"Gakupo!" she called again. She came closer, a few feet away judging by the sound of her heels. "Don't ignore me! Leave her alone?"

Gakupo laughed. With the way the pleasant vibrations communicated to Kaito's entire body through their contact, it was hard for the latter to process what she had just said properly. She? Had Miku just said she? Who was that she?

"Worried that I might be forcing myself on someone that doesn't want it? Don't worry, Miku, this is far too public and I don't give free shows. I'm quite expensive, mind you."

Kaito dared turn his head towards his master and he was met with angry eyes... that looked at his face critically, as if examining someone she didn't know. He didn't say a thing but scoffed.

"Now, Miku, you would be prettier if you smiled."

"Don't give me that, you disgusting leech. I've seen her fight against your hold. Free her this instant."

Gakupo looked at Kaito, then made him look back by turning his head with a long, tender caress. Kaito was so close he could almost count the lashes that fell over his eyes, almost kiss him. He felt one of Gakupo's hand trail down his back, stopping just shy from his ass. Kaito's face turned even redder than it already was. Five years at Miku's home also meant five years deprived of such attention. He was quite literally at a loss of words from just that.

"See, Miku, all an act."

She tutted. "Aren't you here with someone? What are you doing here, alone with her?"

"I think... I am scouting for new talents."

"You think?"

"Hmmm..." Gakupo's hum was deep and made things happen in Kaito. It sounded like something he might say as he sank himself deep in the arms of a lover. "Or maybe I just got distracted."

"She's a debutante already, you can't just take her out of the arms of her pimp. You might get in trouble if you are found out here."

"Worrying for me? How cute."

She spat on the ground in disgust.

"Speaking of debutante," continued Gakupo as if nothing had happened, "where is yours?"

"The little bitch ran away when I had my back turned. Ungrateful wrench. After all, I did for him."

Gakupo laugh. "Careful, he might hear you."

"Obviously, he's not here." Her eyes roamed over Kaito. Her cold, hateful eyes. "You're loosing her time with her. Listen, girl, you chose the wrong time to try and make an appearance. Tonight, my debutante is going to take the show. All the most depraved eyes of Allacard are already fixed on him. You'll just be washed away."

"I'm sure that Kaito would be most happy to hear what fate you place in him," said Gakupo.

"Shut up. I still need to find it and he's not here, thank the Seven. A bad evening to you."

She turned around and walked away, towards some stairs that lead to the garden.

"Maybe if you rented someone like me for balls, you'd be in a better mood, you know," taunted Gakupo.

She didn't reply and disappeared in the dark.

Kaito was still speechless when she did so. He looked at Gakupo, not knowing what to ask but very confused. The courtesan laughed. As he did so, Kaito felt the distinct pop of a spell being released and a positively delicious shiver ran down his spine. Damn his sensitivity to magic.

"It's a very simple trick, but it's rather effective, don't you think?" said Gakupo. "I can make anyone take a different appearance as long as I hold them between my leg. It's nothing but a simple illusion but it's very useful, especially when my client happens to be married."

"That's..." he was sleeping with married people? That was vile.

"Oh, don't go all Miku on lil' old me. I'm your elder, you owe me some respect you know."

"Respect? You?"

"Hush. You talk too much."

Kaito was about to protest about that too when his ass was suddenly grabbed. Gakupo's eyes widened briefly as he squished, but then his gaze became darker and oh-so-hungry. Kaito gulped. He was in trouble. Damn Miku's improvement of his ass.

"She didn't mess around with this," said Gakupo, adding another squeeze for good measure. "Although I suppose, that if she wants to hail you as a debutante, she'll have to make sure you look good, if you know what I mean."

"All right," replied Kaito, "I'll bite. What is a debutante?"

"A--" His eyes widened. "You don't know?"

"No?"

Gakupo smirked. "Well, isn't that interesting. It seems like she hid that little bit of information from you, how peculiar."

"Just spit it out."

"All right. In hell, we use that word to talk about a prostitute at the beginning of their career. They are still trying to build a clientele and often appear at balls to showcase their assets."

Kaito's eyes widened and he felt his stomach sink. Miku had called him that just now when she thought that he wasn't listening. Why would she do that?

Gakupo's smile dropped. "Oh... Oh dear. Oh dear."

Suddenly, unexpectedly, there was a hand in Kaito's hair, stroking it softly, and the one from his backside was now resting against the small of his back reassuringly.

Kaito didn't know why Gakupo was suddenly nice to him. All he knew was that Miku had all along had the intention of selling him off like some whore. Because he was one. Suddenly all the talk of charming and seducing made a lot more sense. And the pants too. Gakupo wore the same, he simply carried himself with the confidence of a prince in them.

He had been a fool. Again.

"Don't cry on me," said Gakupo. "Lucifer. It always ends this way but I'm just shit at consoling people."

Kaito snorted and told himself that he wasn't going to show weakness in front of Gakupo, of all people. Flames and sulfur, he was pathetic. Tears welled up.

"T'was worth a try," muttered Gakupo.

He drew Kaito against him, pulling him a little along the length of his body so that he could rest in the crook of Gakupo's nest. Kaito wasn't sad, he was frustrated. Whatever he did, he was always the one being had by everyone else's lies and he hated himself for it. At least Gakupo smelled and felt nice. His fluffy collar soaked the tears well.

When he had enough, he pulled away and rubbed the last trace of his tears from his face. He was not stopped, he was even allowed to sit upon the bench. Gakupo sat as well.

"If that can make you feel better, it's a well-known fact that she needs money. I'm sure she wouldn't have even considered it in other circumstances.

"She prepared me for the last five years for this. The lessons for dancing. Manners. That's what she wanted the whole time."

"She has debts. Had them for a while now."

"And... and everyone else knew?"

Gakupo nodded.

"Great," muttered Kaito. "Just fucking..."

He stopped himself when he saw a demoness exit the dancing room. He knew her. Tall, with those four horns on her head, and that aura... She had not seen her in five years.

Gakupo stood up gracefully as soon as he saw her, smiling, but Kaito could see that it was a façade. He had not changed in that regard.

"Duchess," he said. "I believe he was the one you wanted to see?"

She surveyed Kaito critically. He was starting to have an idea what sort of interest she had in him and it darkened his mood. All those damn, rich demons. He hated them.

"Kaito, was it?" she said. "Stand up. I've wanted to take a closer look at you and I knew that Miku tends to be... rather possessive of her debutantes. I hope you don't mind."

Kaito opened his mouth, but Gakupo was faster.

"He doesn't, provided that you will only be looking. He's a little shy."

Gakupo offered Kaito a hand. The latter, a little taken aback, took it and stood up. Ollmith came even closer, smiling. He remembered that she had seemed very interested in him when they had first met. How could he forget that imposing aura of hers? It prickled his skin and made his knees weak.

She took his hand from Gakupo and made Kaito spin around, admiring him when he moved gracefully. Then Kaito, being the smallest of the three, looked up at the two other demons. They looked like wolves trying to decide which part of the lamb they were going to eat. At least she did most. Gakupo's face was still quite hard to read at the moment.

"He looks exquisite. Do you have a demon form, Kaito?"

"Yes," he replied. He didn't want to show it.

"I suppose it's only to be revealed after the auction."

"The auction?" gasped Kaito.

Ollmith crooked her eyebrows, surprised. "Is something the matter?"

"I mean-- I didn't know..."

"The thing is," intervened Gakupo, "that Kaito had not even been told that he was a debutante tonight."

"That is absurd," she replied. She looked at Kaito, and read on his face that it was true. "That is absurd!"

"Precisely," said Gakupo.

"Why would anyone do something like that? How did she expect him to convince future clients if he had no idea that he was supposed to do that?"

"I..." said Kaito. He cleared his throat. "Please leave me alone. I'd like to leave now."

Ollmith's mouth dropped in shock.

"What a mess," sighed Gakupo. "Typical Miku. It never changes with her, she'll just use anyone she can get her hands on for her gain."

"Well you can talk," said Kaito, giving Gakupo the dirtiest look he could muster. "You've scarred me. I take that you had a lot of fun watching me squirm before because of the Greedflower?"

Gakupo blinked, confused. "What? What do you mean?"

"Don't be so innocent, you knew full well that you drugged me, just because you could!" He was screaming now. "You monster!"

"Oh." Gakupo laughed, unfazed by the other's screaming. Kaito could have punched him. "You got it all wrong. The way I understood it, it was Miku that gave you the Greedflower. She told me herself."

"What?"

But before Kaito could let that realization sink in, a screeching voice broke into his thoughts.

"Gakupo!" screamed Miku. She stood at the top of the steps that lead to the gardens. "Get away from my pupil this instant!"

Gakupo smiled and did so, but Ollmith stood near Kaito and didn't budge. Miku didn't have the right to tell her to do so. Instead, she walked straight up to Kaito and grabbed his arm, passing in front of Gakupo while ignoring him.

"Miku," said Ollmith.

"Excuse us, Duchess, but we must leave."

Ollmith's eyes narrowed but she didn't comment further. Miku started to drag Kaito away.

Right at this moment, Kaito felt dread in the pit of his stomach. He looked back at the two demons he was leaving behind. For the first time in his life, he would rather stay with Gakupo than Miku. He didn't know what she had in store for him but there was a feeling in his guts that told him it couldn't be good.


	35. Dragged Down

They left the city the next day.

A million times, Kaito looked in her direction and tried to say something, or at least it felt like a million times. He thought himself too much of a coward to confront her until they were in the carriage back to Miku's domain in the countryside. Back where Kaito had spent the last five years of his life believing that she only wanted what was best for him. He wasn't so naive any more.

The silence in which they travelled was torture. This was what, ultimately, decided him to talk.

"You didn't tell me that I was a debutante," he said.

She turned her head to him, slowly, like an owl that had caught sight of her prey. "Who told you that lie?"

"You did. You called me a debutante to Gakupo. I was there."

"You hid from me. And here I was, thinking that I could trust you." There was hurt in her voice.

Kaito had no pity to spare for her now.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You wouldn't understand why I did it anyway. You are barely grown as a demon."

"You always said that such things were meant for demons... other than you. The depraved ones. The ones from Allacard." She was no better in the end. Kaito didn't say it but he thought it really loud.

"Hah!" she said. "You're more of a fool than I thought. Can't you see that this is a different situation? Any other demon but I would have done it because they want more money. I do it because I need that money because I am pressed on all sides by my enemies and they want my blood. They sense that I am different from them and they want me out of the picture. With me gone, they will be free to do all that they do wrong without fearing anyone that judges them. They do it for selfish means."

"And so, I would need to sacrifice myself selflessly for you?" asked Kaito. He was struggling to keep his calm. Getting angry would serve no purpose then.

"You were never intended for any other purpose. What are you going to do about it? Run away? Go live in the slums if that is what you like. You will be the selfish one if you think that I can just offer you five years of lodging and proper education for free."

"You never mentioned any price before today! And if I wouldn't have betrayed your trust, as you so kindly put it, I wouldn't have known until... until Satan knows when! The auction day? There is going to be an auction right?"

She didn't answer that. The air in the carriage suddenly felt very cold.

"You are disgusting," said Kaito.

She suddenly stood up. Kaito flinched and backed away, persuaded that she was going to slap him, but she didn't move.

"Never," she said, "insult me again if you know what's good for you, Kaito Shion. I will crush you next time."

He shuddered. He had no bought that she would, without a single hesitation too. After all, she had imprisoned and tortured her own master for fifteen years without a trace of remorse, why would she treat her pupil any differently? He was a fool. An utter fool. He had trusted her with his life.

"We shall not speak of this again," she said as she sat down. "Is that clear?"

Kaito nodded. He knew better than to resist demons that were stronger than him.

 

The house felt empty. It was an odd feeling. Maybe it only was Kaito. Maybe it had always been so. He wondered where Nirron was now. Surely he knew that he wouldn't be welcomed back. He was a good demon after all, despite what Miku thought of him. If he would have been there, Kaito would have had someone to talk to. Instead, the servants, mute and gloomy as always, send him a suspicious glance, as if they could sense that Kaito had fallen from grace.

He sat on his bed. It was the evening yet he didn't want to sleep. He was scared that if he tried to do so, alone in the dark, he would start crying. What now?

Damn himself. He looked back to the beginning, that fateful night where he had plunged a knife in Gakupo's chest. If only he could go back to stop himself. The women, plunged as they were in their lust-induced gaze, might have even been happy. Gakupo would have died some other way, and they would have become a demon regardless. And Kaito would have been left out of this mess.

Oh, just great, replied another voice in his head. And now he is lamenting himself, as he always does. Mess up then cry when it bites him in the ass, that's all he did apparently. And now he had messed up big time. Five years! And he had trusted her with his life.

He didn't even want to think about the last thing that Gakupo had told him, about the Greedflower. He wouldn't believe that. But even as he tried his best to argue against it, he knew that the main reason he held on to it was that he wasn't ready to admit that Miku would hurt him this much.

He needed sleep. If he stayed up any longer, his mind would keep running over those problems over and over again. He didn't want to start crying. Again. He wouldn't.

He did, quietly, hiding between the sheets, like a scared child, and lured himself to sleep like that.

"Where is my brother?" asked a voice.

Saowen appeared in front of him but this time his limbs were attached to his body. He did have a scar on his neck when it had been cut, and if he had some anywhere else it was hidden by his simple dark robe. There was darkness trailing behind him, darkness that looked like wings, if wings would be a gas.

Kaito rose from his bed but even he knew that this was a dream. His room was illuminated by the supernatural blue light of a moon that simply didn't exist in hell.

"Speak, imbecile," said Saowen. His three eyes were fixed upon Kaito. "Where is my brother? I know you went to his ball."

"We had to leave early," said Kaito.

"Leave early? You mean to tell me that you didn't walk straight up to him and tell him that his brother is held prisoner?"

"I didn't think-- I mean, no, I didn't."

Saowen stared down at Kaito, stared down long and hard. His fists were balled so tight that they were shaking. Kaito drew away from him, terrified that he might do something.

Instead, Saowen fell to his knees and covered his face. "I am never coming out of this hole," he muttered. "It's over."

Guilt assaulted Kaito. He ventured closer, slowly, and even reached out to touch him. His hand was slapped away.

"Don't you come close to me! You traitor, you... You don't even understand what you've done, have you now? Do you even care?"

"I'm sorry--"

He tried to excuse himself, tell the other that he didn't mean it, that he would go and steal a horse right now and ride to Allacard - for what was left for him to do here, he might as well try. And maybe he would have succeeded, maybe he would have managed to do one thing right in his life. But before he could stay that, Saowen started to change shape.

The creature that stood back up had nothing human any more. His eyes had disappeared, all his features had disappeared save for his mouth, that went down to his arms and was full of teeth. There were tendrils of shadows like spikes all over him, and countless hands under him, like the thousand feet of a millipede.

Kaito ran.

He ran into the hallway, to the entrance, some door, anything. But when he looked forward, the hallway stretched in front of him as far as the eye went. This wasn't normal. It was Saowen trapping him in his own dream. But what other solution did he have but to run?

He heard the tumble and creaking of a thousand hands stomping after him and dared to look over his shoulder. Saowen's jaw was wide open, curling back even, and in it were teeth, teeth, teeth, ready to laminate his flesh. Kaito screamed and ran even faster.

But he couldn't. The ground under his feet was lifting itself until he was running up a slop, and the slop turned into a cliff. He clung desperately to the smooth floor. Felt himself lose his grip. Fell.

Saowen's jaws, with teeth like razors, opened wider.

Kaito woke up to find Miku standing near the bed. He knew that it was her right away. Who would mistake this quietness, the whiteness of her clothes? And the way her hand held itself against her chest, her single hand since her other arm had gone missing. She didn't say a thing as Kaito slowly sat up and rubbed the sleep away from his eyes but she was watching him. He felt her eyes on him.

"Is something the matter?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Did you want something from me?" he asked, louder. He knew that she had heard him the first time.

"You had a nightmare," she said in the quietest voice.

"Was I talking in my sleep?"

"No."

There was another silence. Her gaze, invisible under her veil, didn't waver one bit.

"Well, I'm awake now. I think it's over," he said.

"It is."

Her movement was so quick he didn't see her coming. She grabbed his throat and dragged him back. He fell on the ground with a thud. A heavy one too, one that made him wince in pain as she did so. But before he could protest she was dragging him further, her grip on his throat unwavering.

He gasped for air. He saw her turn the corner, towards the door, the heavy door with iron bars to reinforce it. The one that lead down to her lab. The one he had been forbidden from crossing.

He opened his mouth to scream for help, but couldn't, the grip of his hand on his throat to tight to allow air. As she sank into the darkness he did as well, into the darkness inside of him.

 

When he woke up, he was on some cold floor in a dark place. He barely could see the bars of his cell, but he certainly noticed Miku standing quietly behind them. She was staring at him again.

He knew that place. Those were the cells after her lab, the ones behind her secret door. A deep horror descended on him as he sat up.

"You're awake," she said. "That took you long enough."

Kaito could only think of one thing to say.

"Why... why are you doing this now?"

"Because this is what you deserve. I help you for five years, feed you, clothes you, teach you what you need to know... I saved you. Your life belongs to me. But what do I get? I am right for doing what I do! And you should know your place, Kaito."

"But what--"

"Enough!" She had raised her voice. Kaito winced. "You think that I am blind enough not to realize when someone is dream-talking in my own home? You've been speaking to Saowen. I suppose he took advantage of the fact that I and Nirron were gone to do so."

"I wasn't... I didn't even try to contact him! He was the one that--"

"And you were hoping to gain from it? What, exactly? You have no idea what went down between him and I. This whole thing was his idea! Yet halfway through it, no, as we are barely scraping the surface, he turns on me and tells me he wants to stop. Stop! What was I supposed to do? As the one with the greater powers, he needed to be the one that had his limbs cut off! Do you even understand what that means? Of course you wouldn't. I knew from the start that you were too stupid to understand. I might have tried to instruct you for five years but you don't understand. You're not smart enough to do so. No one seems to be!"

Kaito had to agree with her. He didn't understand her, but that was because she made no sense.

"You will be staying here, then, for the aforementioned reasons." Her voice was as calm again. Articulate. She almost sounded logical. "You are not to come unless it is to be with a client. And I will stop providing you with medicine."

"No!" cried Kaito. "Please. Don't do this. Keep me here but-- At least--"

"Why should I spend a dime on you? I ought to have you starved. I can't afford that, with your body being the only useful thing about you at this point. I just don't need your mind. I wonder how long you can go before you break?"

Kaito's voice caught in his throat. He had a vision of the damned Miku kept to grow the limbs she needed. He would be no better than them, soon.

She smiled.

"You are starting to understand. Soon... soon they'll all understand that there is no fighting me. I am right." She turned to the side and started to leave. "They can conspire against me, but they can't win... no one can."

"No, please, I didn't mean to-- Please," begged Kaito. He crawled on his hands and knees towards her. "Please, I am begging you. I didn't mean it. I didn't want any of it. You got to believe me. Miku!"

She kept walking, white in the dark, her dress so pure. She walked, and left him there, and didn't even turn to look at him calling her name when she slid the cabinet back in place over the tunnel.


	36. Out

Time is a cruel thing. It advances and it doesn't care for those that it crushes beneath it. Time is like the miller's wheel, pushed in circles by the cosmic donkey laughing at the grains of wheat that were thrown beneath it. Sometimes Kaito heard its braying, he was sure of it, even if it was hard to tell as his entire world was being crushed under its own weight.

Sometimes, the voice of the other prisoner reached him. Sometimes he was aware of its presence only, in the distance, without knowing what he was saying. It was like a thread to him, the only thread he had in this place with no night or day. It reminded him of the cold ache of laying unmoving on the stone ground, the disagreeable feel of food he didn't want to eat being pushed down his mouth in a tube, the pain - the unbearable pain! - of a beating heart in his chest. This was reality. But the things that didn't exist terrified him even more.

Gakupo, the thought of him, the need for his presence, had grown and grown until it had swallowed him whole. Kaito was not Kaito any more, he was Gakupo without being him, an empty shell that needed to be filled by something he could never reach. His nails were bloody from all the time he had spent clawing at the lock of his cell. He would have crawled all the way back to Allacard on a bed of glass shards if Gakupo had been waiting for him at the end, and then... and then he would kill him, but lovingly, kill him by eating his very flesh so that they could be one. What he felt was beyond love. It was the fundamental law of the universe, more real than the God he had been told to worship his entire human life.

And then he came back to the cold ground of his cell, heard the voice of the other demon here with him, and shuddered as horror overcame him in a rare moment of clarity.

"You got to fight it," they would cheer. "She can't break you."

He was already broken. He's been a mangled mess of bones and guts ever since she had gotten her hands on him and he only realized now. Maybe he was glad that the Greedflower was taking all his senses away. Thinking that he had been so naive might be the most terrifying prospect of all.

Oh, but he didn't know.

 

What must it feel like, to live in a world where you don't understand anything? Thunder rolls atop of you. Crops dry out. Sickness takes away your loved ones and you don't know why is that. And there are the things that happen in the privacy of homes, people starting to act in strange ways, as if controlled by someone else. And you don't know why.

And suddenly a stranger stops by. He speaks in answers, he tells you that there is a God that loves you and that your life has a purpose. You love him, you love the afterlife he promises, so you turn around and shame your wife, restrain your kids, you turn around and do anything the man says. Better all this suffering to please an invisible God than your old life.

Such was the love Kaito had when Miku came to him with the small crystal vial of medicine. He knew it from another life, he remembered that he needed it. He reached for her and begged her, but she was going to give it to him anyway.

The sensation of leaving everything behind, slowly, was indescribable. He was stepping away from the prison of thoughts he had been laying in and watching it all vanish into the void. He stayed laying there, his eyes on the faint light that trailed on the ceiling, but he didn't see anything. Miku remained next to him.

He sat up slowly when he was still in this in-between state, staring at her. He still remembered why she had thrown him down there. And the rest. All the rest. He suddenly didn't love her anymore, he hated her because everything he had gone through was her fault.

"What do you want?" he asked.

She slapped him across the face.

"You have not been given any permission to speak."

All right then.

He stood up and followed her, rubbing his cheek. Light felt strange. Everything felt strange. The world came back to him in pieces and he was struggling to stick them back together so that they would make sense again. One breath after the other, he told himself, one step at the time.

What did she want? Was it the time for the auction already?

The mere thought of it made him wish that there was some way to escape. To think that everything she had given him was to lead to this moment made him feel sick. He hugged himself.

She lead him through her lab and up the stairs, back in the house, then to a room where mute servants waited with a basin of water - of cold water. Kaito had to undress himself wordlessly in front of everyone, his eyes on the ground so that he wouldn't look at anyone. He knew that if he protested he'd be hit again, or worse. That didn't stop him from feeling the burning on his skin where Miku's eye bore into him, the type of burn only cold could give.

Burn on his naked body, and shivers. He didn't want it to stop. He didn't want anything to stop. He wished he could stay in this room forever, until he became so numb from the cold he never felt anything again, even under the cold gaze of Miku. Beyond the door of this room was a path leading him to places unknown and he wouldn't have chosen to walk if for anything in all of hell.

But the time came. The servants backed away and bowed. Kaito was brought fresh clothes.

"Don't stain them," she said.

He didn't know how he was supposed to stain them because he wasn't brought any food. They climbed in Miku's black four-horse carriage and left for the city in silence.

 

In the dark with Miku, he had nothing to stop the thoughts of assaulting him. Who would win his body for the night? He imagined monsters, one after the other, he even imagined Darden, terrifying Darden with his claws out and his madness. The vision of him as he gored out his lover for all to see danced in front of Kaito's eyes. But she would sell him to Darden, he knew, because then there would be the risk that he told him about his brother. Saowen had not spoken to him since the dream but he would still do all he could to free him.

If he was allowed to speak.

What if they cut his tongue? They could do that if they wanted. They could chain him, cut him... dismember him. Who knew what sort of perverse desires demons had. And even if he was a demon too, he was a bargaining chip; too weak to defend himself. Lex Infernum.

Unable to hold himself, he turned to the wall so she would see his face and started to cry. The tears streamed down his face quietly as the carriage brought him back to Allacard.

 

The time was overcast when they pulled up in front of a large building he didn't recognize. The air smelled like rain. This small detail somehow cheered up Kaito. He sort of liked the rain. Rain was good. He had not realized how he had missed those small details when he was locked in the dark. If he was going to live a life as a sex slave, at least Miku couldn't stop him from enjoying the little moments.

Sex slave. The word sounded odd in his mind. Was that what he was?

They walked down immense hallways and passed important-looking demons that barely spared them a glance. Everything was made of white marble here - almost as if the hearts of the people that worked within those walls were just as white. But he wasn't fooled.

"Here it is," muttered Miku to herself as she arrived to a room.

She turned to him and fretted over his outfit, and suddenly Kaito realized that there was something out of place. Why were they here, exactly?

"You are not to speak a single word," she told him when she had arranged the flaps of his shirt. "If they ask you a direct question, you are to say yes or no. If they press you for more, say that your master knows best on the subject. Understood?"

"Wait a moment," Kaito said. "What is happening?"

She rose her hand, ready to slap him, and he flinched. But the hit never landed. She seemed to think better of it than to hit him. Maybe she was worried that she would leave an imprint on him.

She turned around and pushed open the two doors. The distant rumble of gossiping demons dispersed and everyone turned to them. Kaito was not wearing those atrociously tight pants but he felt just as exposed when everyone stared at him quietly. He followed his master wordlessly along the alley, to the front of the room, his eyes down the whole time.

When he rose them, he realized that this wasn't an auction. This was a courtroom.

There was the Judge, grave in her chair. Her horns were massive, like the branches of a tree above her, and her eyes plentiful, so much so that Kaito didn't even count them. She sat behind her desk, triumphant, gigantic and unmovable.

Miku bowed to her. "Your honour."

"You are late, Hatsune," the Judge said. She had so many eyes that there was no space for a mouth, but her voice could be heard loud and clear.

"Forgive me. The road to come was a long one but we came here straight away."

"Enough talking." She swept the air. "Please take place. We shall begin immediately."

"Finally," said a voice behind them. A voice that sent chills down Kaito's spine before he even recognized it.

He turned around. There, sitting, fawning his face and his plunging cleavage, was Gakupo.

Kaito was rooted to where he stood, his mouth gaping. His old enemy had dressed just as dashingly as if he was going to a ball, skin-tight clothing and high collar included. He was also in his demon form and the chair he sat one looked too small for him; not that it mattered when he spread his impossibly long legs comfortably.

This was the man Kaito had gone insane over when he was locked in the dark. Or had he? The memory of his time under the influence of the Greedflower was already fading, and all retained was a feeling of vague horror. But this wasn't what made seeing him there strange. It was the fact that this was a courtroom. Why were they all here? What was going on?

Gakupo, that would have been blind not to notice the demon standing in front of him with a gaping mouth, hid his mouth with his fan and chuckled.

"Fancy meeting you again," he said in a deep, alluring voice.

"Kaito!" Miku's voice cracked like a whiplash.

Kaito jumped and hurried away, to his spot by her side, head low. He almost expected her to hit him in front of everyone but she didn't. She just grabbed his collar and yanked him to his seat with a bit too much strength. There were some murmurs from the public.

Because they had a public. The seats of the courtroom were choke-full of people, demons that were all dressed in their best cloth, chatting away with each other. Kaito spotted some familiar faces in them - Arin, Anya, and even the Bees, all three of them.

His last glance around was for the demon that was sitting at the table with them. If he were to venture any guesses, he had his money on him being Miku's lawyer. Now if he just knew why everyone was there, that would be grand.

"Quiet," the judge said. With a single hit of her hammer, she had brought silence to the room. "The prosecutor will now read the charges against the accused."

A demon stepped forward, reading from a parchment.

"Hatsune Miku, present today, is being accused of blackmailing, emotional damage, spying, infringement on property and, the worse crime of all... fraudulent contract."

There was a collective gasp in the audience and everyone started to comment. "Shame!" cried someone in the back.

"Silence!" the Judge cried, slamming her hammer. When it was achieved, she continued, "how does the accused plead?"

"Not guilty, your Honour," said the demon at their table that Kaito didn't know. Definitely Miku's lawyer, then.

So she was being accused? What in the world was happening?

"This is a farce, Gakupo!" Miku suddenly cried. She stood. "None of your accusations stands any ground against me and you know it! I know what you are doing, and you'll never have Kaito back."

"Please remain seated, Hatsune," said the Judge. She obeyed.

Gakupo just smiled.

Wait a second, thought Kaito. They were having a trial over _him_.

He glanced at Gakupo's table. The latter was looking at him, intense; there was something in his eyes that made blood rush to Kaito's cheeks and quickly look away. But his mind was already made.

Whatever it would take, he was going to fight his way out of Miku's grip.


	37. Justice (According to Demons)

Gakupo watched Kaito carefully. He was so close, he thought. And soon, Kaito would be even closer to him, he would belong to him again.

He couldn't wait.

But first, he would have to earn him - not that he thought of it as anything but a formality at this point. A few years ago, one would have had to be crazy to dare attack Miku; some demons in the audience still thought that he was and that's why they were here to watch. However, this time he had drawn her out of her comfort zone, in a room filled with his own allies (not that she had any herself), to fight a fight of his choosing. He was confident in his victory.

Lex Infernum usually took care of every demon's needs - trials were rare and written laws were as scarce as rose bushes in a wild field. Weeds were always happy to grow among themselves, and what were demons except weeds dressed in their most obnoxiously extravagant flowers? But sometimes they wanted trials too, and there were some Ancients that fancied themselves Judge - most of which were only thirsty for the petty drama that shook the small lives of their half-human successors, even if they never confessed it outright.

And now, to decide who was the clown in this circus.

"I believe you'll be taking the first turn," the Judge said, looking at Gakupo's lawyer - an expensive one, even if officially he was working pro bono - one didn't exactly write "night with a fashionable prostitute" on their household accounting book at the end of the month.

"Right," the lawyer said - his name was Mr Sigmon - as he stood up. "We'll be calling in master Rikii as a first witness."

Kaito recoiled in his chair when the hellhound padded to the front of the room. The poor thing; he had probably not been given the time to desensitise himself regarding their strange appearance. The hellhound ignored him until she sat in the witness' chair, until which she caste an all-around glance at everyone in front of her.

"Let's skip over your oath of trust, master," the Judge said. "As we all know, you never lie, so I won't be insulting you with it."

She huffed in approval.

"Very well." Mr Sigmon stood up as he said that. He stepped around the table to stand in front of Rikii. "Very well. Master Rikii, with the deepest respect, may I ask you a question?"

She nodded. Gakupo caught Kaito gasping from the corner of his eye. How endearing, he didn't know that they could perfectly understand Latin? Miku had really kept him sheltered. It excited him to think just how innocent he was on other regards, a perverse, predatory excitement - but he repressed that for now. He needed to focus on the trial at hand and the interrogation of the witness his side was presenting.

"Master Rikii," Mr Sigmon continued, pacing leisurely. "Is it true that you were present when Kaito was taken in as a pupil by Gakupo?"

She nodded again.

"So you can confirm that Gakupo was indeed Kaito's original master?"

She confirmed.

"I object, your Honor," Miku exclaimed. "This is a dog!"

There was a silence. Miku's lawyer, that was starting to realize what sort of client he was straddled with, turned very pale.

"Well done, Hatsune," the Judge said disdainfully. "Is it the name, hell _hound_ , that gave it away?"

Miku, for capable of reading the mood of a room, looked around and concluded that what she would say next would not be well received. She snapped her hanging jaw back up and sat down quietly. There were a few laughs. Someone cried "shame" again but quieter than the last time.

"That will be all for this witness, your honor," said Mr. Sigmon. "Next, I'm calling Irene Aria!"

IA passed Rikii in the alley before stepping in the front. She seemed confident enough, a little cold, but Gakupo knew that under this shell she was a nervous wreck. She wore back, the darkest colors she owned, a clear contrast to Miku's white dress. When the latter saw the clothes she held her hand over her heart, knowing that she had been betrayed.

"Miss Irene Aria, please swear your truth oath," the Judge said.

She rose her hand, palm to the Judge.

"I swear that I will say the truth and nothing but the truth, on my wealth, my power, and my sanity. May my heart and mind be bared by the will of our Allmight Lord Asmodeus, may my superior, Gakupo Venomania, carry the burden of punishing me should I fail."

"May it be so," Gakupo said before the Judge could ask.

She nodded, drew a knife, and slashed IA's palm. Gakupo was proud of her when she barely flinched.

"You may proceed," she told Mr. Sigmon.

"Thank you, your honor." He turned sharply to IA. "Miss Aria. Is it true that, but four years ago, you would have had to swear this oath in the name of Miku Hastune?"

"Yes."

"And was Gakupo Venomania aware of the connection you had with Miku Hatsune?"

"No."

"However - correct me if I am wrong - you were part of the musical group under Gakupo Venomania's command, the Hornet and the Bees."

"That is indeed correct."

"One might think that you would be under Gakupo's Venomania's command by looking at your situation on the surface, but you were in fact under Miku Hatsune's command. Why was that so?"

"Because I was a spy working for Miku."

"Miku who?"

"Miku Hastune."

There was a scandalized gasp from the audience. The shamer from the back row manifested themselves.

"Oh, for the love of myself, silence," the Judge said. She didn't bother using her hammer - she was obeyed anyway.

"So am I correct to infer from this that Miku Hastune has sent you, Irene Aria, to spy on Gakupo Venomania?"

"You would be correct."

"Would you please explain, Aria Irene, why exactly you were sent to spy on him?"

Mr. Sigmon might take forever to get to a point, thought Gakupo, but it was a relief to see that he performed better in court than he did in bed.

"Because Miku is an insecure little bitch," IA said, "that thinks she should be informed of everything in order to hurt as many people as she can as deeply as she can. She is a lying, manipulative moralist - worse than a moralist, someone that advocates for what she doesn't do herself! She cheats, she spies, and she badmouths anyone that gets near her, even her friends, and when she has no use for them she stabs them in the back!"

"Miku who?"

"Miku Hatsune!"

"IA!" Miku stood up. "It is still time to stop. We can come to an arrangement... clear our past misunderstanding."

IA finally dared to look at her; when she did, her gaze was cold. Gakupo could have wiped away a tear if it had been the time to cry of happiness. His little IA had grown so strong.

"We had an arrangement and you broke it," she told Miku. "For each of Gakupo's great defeats, I had a night in your bed. That was the only payment I was expecting from you, and you still managed to mess it up. When I confessed to Gakupo and begged for his forgiveness, you know what he did? He sent his butler out to scout the slums until he found a girl with your face, had her hair dyed and gave her to me."

The audience aww-ed. It was always touching to see a superior being kind and forgiving to the demons below them.

"What great defeat are you referring to?" the Judge asked.

"Your Honour," AI replied, "this great defeat was the conclusion of Miku's Hastune plan when she forced Gakupo Venomania to give up his beloved pupil, Kaito Shion, to her."

"Tell me how it happened."

"Miku Hatsune had gained an interest in him - in Kaito Shion - when she first learned about him. Talking to him only sharpened her interest - she saw his as easily manipulable, or so she told me later. So she waited until a moment where she knew that Gakupo Venomania would be at his weakest to draw Kaito Shion to her and make him drink Greeflower so that he wouldn't remember her manipulating and kidnapping him. She told me all of it herself."

The Judge didn't say anything but she shook her head. She seemed done with the length at which demons went to hurt each other, which was good for Gakupo.

"Your Honor!" Miku cried, standing up.

There was a silence as she did that. Gakupo raised his brows, surprised that she even dared to speak after that.

"You are not being told the whole story," she added, stepping around her table until she was in front of the Judge. She stood there bravely, despite her position, that much Gakupo could admit.

"I object, your Honor," Mr Sigmon said. "We are not finished with interrogating the witnesses."

"I'm of a mind to let her speak," the Judge said. "Let us proceed with it."

"Thank you, your Honor," she said. "It is comforting to see that there are still some signs of justice in this lowly world."

She spread her single arm out dramatically before beginning her speech. Gakupo repressed a sigh: he knew what she was about to do. He had seen her do it a billion times, it seemed, and so had others; she was known for her storytelling.

"Sixty years ago, I was at the height of my career. My flesh crafting was known far and wide to be art in its purest form, I was praised and sought by everyone that came near me. I, guarded against the whims of the world, took care not to let the success get to my head and remained humble - I am still humble today, as I am only repeating the words that others told me at the time. Nothing seemed to be able to halt my growing fortune, except perhaps myself if I were to voluntarily put a stop to it until our Lord and Ruler Asmodeus himself called upon me for a special task. He had, in his great boredom, entertained himself by contracting a mortal that caught his eye and struck his fancy. Who was I to refuse? Honour and glory, I thought, were payment enough for the work he asked of me, so I accepted and followed him to the human world.

What I saw then was a disgrace that few of you, probably, heard about. You have all heard the tale of Gakupo's folly, the hundreds of lovers that he had attached to himself while having Asmodeus' power at his disposal, but no one was really there to see it as I saw it. He was an amputee that had been given a crutch to lean on, relying on a magic that was not his to get what he wanted and nothing else. Witty? Thoughtful? Gakupo was not even clairvoyant to guess that his dalliances would sow hatred sooner or later - he died at the first man that crossed his threshold from a knife to the stomach - his corpse, as the power of our Lord left him, was a miserable crippled piece of flesh.

It dawned upon me that this was my duty now: to turn this... thing into something worthy of our Lord was an impossible task. But to refuse was not something I even considered, and I got to work.

Five years it took to reach any semblance of perfection on the outside - but I was soon to learn that the inside was deeply flawed. There was the initial excitement of toying with a courtesan that had been hand-picked by Asmodeus himself, but that quickly faded when they realized that he was deeply flawed inside.

What flaws were those, you may ask? I shall not list them all, for they were plentiful, but Gakupo lacked the charisma of both his masters - myself and Asmodeus. His conversation was flat, dull, he never seemed pleased with what he was being given. He was nothing but a spoiled child turning his nose up on the love that was being bestowed on him, and all the demons that could have had an interest in him felt it.

I wouldn't have cared, your Honour, if his failures would have left my reputation unaffected, but that was not the case. They held me accountable for the flaws of my pupil. Friends stopped inviting me out of fear that Gakupo might come as well, and clients avoided me. I, that had once thought that simply being recognized for my work, found that downfall was a bitter affair, especially when caused by hands other than your own.

And so I cast Gakupo away. Was I wrong for doing so? I do not know, although I tend to think that I was not when I see where he is today. But the poison had already worked its effect and here I am today, forgotten, despised and dragged to court.

Anyone knows the law of hell: when damage is done, one is expected to repay it, and revenge is a motive that excuses the worse of crimes if a crime of similar amplitude was committed first. A pupil for a pupil, I say. For the one that brought me to perdition, I deserve one that restores me to my former glory. And so I took Kaito under my wing."

She paused for dramatic effect. It was clear that she was not finished, nothing in her voice had indicated that she was.

"And even if, by any chance, I am still found guilty after that; if you decide that I must give up my pupil, you will be taking the last effort of my labour, like a thief robbing a dying man: I have poured out the last of my effort in Kaito and I will not be able to do it again. Without him, all that would be left to do for me would be to fade as if I never existed; Allacard would have digested me whole and shat me out. But who made the people so pretty? Who started the trends that so many today adore and chose when they go to their flesh crafter?" She looked right at Gakupo. "Can you look at yourself in the mirror and not see me? I might be cast aside, but I will be part of you forever."

Gakupo smiled to hide his discomfort. He was actually worried. Her speech had been long but well-practised and he had seen people in the crowd nod in approval. Even the Judge had listened carefully, not daring to interrupt. Miku was a good speaker.

"That is all, your Honour," she said.

"It is not," Gakupo said, standing up. "You have only told one side of the story, yes, but you cannot be blamed for it. The rest happened far from your eyes, in the intimacy of my home. Your Honour, if I may speak?"

"It would be unfair not to let you do so, even if my mind is already made," the Judge answered with a shrug.

Those last words were like a cold shower for Gakupo and he struggled to leave his smile untouched as he took it. The situation had suddenly turned dire. He needed to win, and not just because he wanted to get back to Miku for all the suffering she had put his through. He sent a short side glance to Kaito.

While it was true that he had done nothing to get him back for five years, seeing him again had awakened something in the demon, something that he recognized was a foolish and possibly dangerous thing. He didn't know why he felt so quite yet, he knew that there certainly was more pride mixed up in it than what he was comfortable admitting, but he had lost the habit of refusing himself anything he wanted it once his mind had attached itself to it.

He _needed_ Kaito to be his.

"I will not attempt to correct Miku's narrations. What does it change that Miku took great pleasure in torturing me as she screamed? That she locked me up in a cage in her workshop, or never took the time to teach me the rules of polite demon society? No, non of that counts, for I was but a young, insignificant demon at the time, even if I had a rather interesting backstory. But I am not a backstory today, I am a courtesan and, unlike Miku, I will not veil myself in false modesty. So I will only talk about the things that happened while I was important since nothing else that I can say is interesting, right?"

There was some irony in his voice; he was only half-joking. Those that understood that they were meant to find it funny did and the others seemed confused. He turned to his public in full, knowing that if he captivated them then he had already won half of the battle: he would have done it in style.

"But I will talk about my time as a human. Indeed, Kaito is my murderer. Who was murdered here?"

Quite a few hands rose.

"Then you know how special a murderer is to you. There can only be a first, and you can never be killed again, for all of eternity. You _belong_ to them. It is the closest thing you will come to a soulmate. And he was sent to hell because of me! Who would have the heart to break such a bound that's clearly marked by destiny?

But being emotional will not really hold its way in court now, will it?"

There were some voiced agreements from the crowd.

"So here is a confession for you... I _greatly_ enjoy the idea that I am the cause of Miku's downfall. And the fact that I have risen above her in every regard save by my own means is delicious. The rule says that revenge can excuse any crime? I have exacted my own revenge by making her drop in fame! She has no right to retaliate.

But for those that still believe that she should remain unscathed, then I will offer you this argument: the way she exacted her revenge is in no way comparable to the way that I have initially wounded her. I, the new, defenceless demon freshly out of his human flesh, expected to be able to fend for himself? I could barely hold a conversation, let alone plot the downfall of a demon that, still today, overpowers me physically so much that she could pop my head off with a single hand. From the way I saw it, _she_ was the one that hurt her own reputation by acting as arrogantly as she did! I could call forth half a dozen demons that could tell me that this is the reason they dislike her."

"Demons that you have probably brought in order to tarnish my reputation!" Miku interrupted. "You think that I don't know what you are doing? You've worked every year since we parted to blacken my name."

"But you haven't brought witnesses in to prove _t_ _hat_ now, have you?"

"Well--"

"Proof!" Gakupo shouted. "Or you are nothing but an oath breaker, a vile liar and spy, that attacked a demon more powerful than you and that should pay the price for it."

"Shame on the oathbreaker!" the demons in the back cried. "Shame! Shame! Shame!"

Some others joined in on the chant.

"Enough!" the Judge cried. She threw her hammer in the crowd and knocked out someone, that slumped back on their chair like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "I have decided."

Silence fell like a heavy drape over the room. Everyone waited anxiously as the Judge leaned back in her chair with a sigh. She closed her many eyes and crossed her large, wood-like hands on her stomach.

"Miku, you are a fallen one. I have heard many things about you and about your rise and fall. I know that you have worked hard to perfect your art and that having that taken away from you can feel unfair."

She stood proudly, persuaded that she had won. The Judge turned to Gakupo next.

"As for you, Gakupo, you are a hungry wolf. The world loves you because you are the type of crazy that is the most entertaining... but you come from a dark place, one that taught you what it is like to have nothing to lose. I see a great future in you, and I mean those words."

The Judge stood up.

"There is no way in hell to decide between the two of you. But Lex Infermum! May the strongest of you two win, by any means possible."

Miku started to laugh, and laugh, a laugh as Gakupo had never heard it, with all her throat and all her lungs. She turned to him with a smirk on her face and pulled off her hat.

Gakupo took a good look at her face.

It was lacerated. No nose, no brows, no sockets, just mangled flesh and scars but immaculate like a dead person's face. And she had eyes. Many, many eyes, struggling to open around scars and sometimes visible by transparency, trapped under a silk-thin layer of skin. Now all saw the light of day; some were rotting, the only stains of colour on her, holes of dark red drilled into her very skull.

"A sixty-year-old demon against a five-hundred-year-old one like me?" she said.

She transformed into her demon form.

She rose to the ceiling, at first, growing, before she collapsed. It was like a volcano eruption, but instead of lava tentacles spilt on all sides, crashing against the walls and the public itself. Her face, unmoving, remained at the centre of it, yet one would have had to be crazy to try and reach it.

"What are you going to do now, fool? If you forfeit, I might only rip off one of your limbs."

"Then you will have to rip off mine as well!"

Kaito, Satan bless him and his dramatic entrance, landed in front of Gakupo. The latter caught a glimpse of wings before they vanished - bug wings? So Miku _had_ given him a demon form. But the most adorable part was the way Kaito stood proudly in front of his master Miku, as if he was going to be the one _protecting_ Gakupo. With an attitude like that, he deserved to be kissed sweetly until he was hard and panting - or at least that's what Gakupo felt like doing to him at this moment.

"Hmpf. Kaito," Miku said. Her voice made the glass of the windows tremble. "As per usual, you lack the necessary brain matter to pick your side according to your best interests."

"I don't care. At least I am fighting you."

Gakupo laughed, bringing the attention back to him. He stoked Kaito's cheek.

"You have no business saying sentences like that," he told the younger one. "What are you trying to do? Make me fall in love?"

Kaito opened his mouth but seemed too stunned to speak.

"Arin," Gakupo called. "Protect this idiot."

"Yes sir," Arin replied, appearing at Kaito's side. He had his rapier drawn.

Finally, Gakupo turned back to Miku, that had politely waited for them to finish talking this over. How considerate.

Gakupo better thank her by beating her up only halfway to death.


	38. Under the Eye of the Lord

"To think that it has come to this," Gakupo said as he stepped forward. "I suppose that beating you into the floor is a fitting end for your reputation."

Miku didn't give in to the temptation of monologuing before the showdown: she whipped a tentacle, shipping him clean in the opposite wall. The shock wasn't kind to him. Not only was he reaped at his slender waist but he heard something crack when he landed.

Turns out that it was an arm, he realized when he stood up. A lower one, that he used less. It hurt like hell but he had felt worse before. Or rather, Miku had made him feel worse than that.

"That's all you got?" he asked. And he spat at her with his arm dangling at a weird angle.

Before he knew it, there was a tight grip around his throat. She slammed him against the wall again, and against, chasing the air out of his lungs so that she could strangle him faster. He croaked - in reality, that was meant to come out as a laugh.

She screamed in pain when she suddenly lost the tip of her tentacle. Blue blood splattered all over Gakupo. This time, he was laughing as he held up the tip of her limb and the sharp blade that had come out of his right arm.

"Oh Miku," he taunted. "Sorry, but I had someone touch your work and add a few things. You like?"

"Why are you fighting me?" she answered. Her face was cold and detached, but he knew her well enough to tell that she was pissed, since she was talking. "Do I have to spell it out? I am ten times older than you. That's ten times stronger."

"It will only make your defeat all the more humiliating."

He actually saw her next hit coming, even if he only narrowly dodged it. It was a good thing. She punched a hole through the stone wall, meaning that every single bone on the trajectory of that tentacle would have been shattered. He opened his wings and took it to the sky. Or, in this case, the ceiling.

"Fool," she said.

Before he knew it, he was surrounded. He tried to dodge but she grabbed his ankle and dragged him down. The ground was not kind to him, but even worse was the grip she had on him, crushing him. He gasped for air and felt a rib snap.

"Oops," she said.

But she was not done with him. She twisted him around and, for a second, he thought that she was going to try and snap his spine. Instead, he felt her lips on his back.

And then teeth.

His wings came out with a sickening pop, torn out of their sockets. It hurt. Blood gushed out of the wound and down his back, warm and wet. He heard a cry of anguish. For a second he thought that he had done it without realizing, but he looked up from between Miku's coils and saw who it truly was.

Kaito?

The man was being held back by Arin as he tried to reach for Gakupo. He was probably worried that his only chance of escaping Miku was slipping between his fingers but... Despite knowing better, Gakupo couldn't help but feel his heart warm.

He gave him a thumbs up, right before he turned around in her grip and slit Miku's face in half.

 _She_ screamed when she was hurt, an ungodly sound that shook Gakupo's very rib cage. But that didn't stop him. Power flowed through him as he rose over her loosened grip; he rushed down to get at her face again. His hands dug into the mangled flesh around her eyes, dug her eyes out, tore then one by one. Miku managed to grab him and threw him away, but her tentacle came back to her laminated. He landed almost graceful and rushed right back at her.

"Cheater!" she shouted.

Oh, so she did understand where he had suddenly gotten his strength. Maybe it was cheating, and Gakupo knew that he was going to pay dearly later, but right now none of that mattered. She tried to stop him but he quite literally sliced through her defence, and then he was at her face again.

A hit, an impact, and it shattered the tiles of the courtroom, spattering blood all over the floor from her wounds.

But he wasn't done with her. Grabbing her by the blue tentacles that came out of the back of her skull, he lifted her and slammed her back down, once, twice, hearing bones crack--

"Enough," said the Judge.

He had been waiting for that. He stepped away quickly.

"We clearly have a victor here, so the case is solved. Miss Miku will be paying for the damages to the courtroom, along with all the necessary frees. Miku?"

She didn't move or respond.

"Well then," the Judge didn't seem phased by that, "she'll just sign the contract when she wakes up. Gakupo, you may dispose now. Case closed."

She banged once with her hammer and started cleaning up. Suddenly, Gakupo felt very weak. With the power having left his body, he was starting to bear the toll of his own wounds.

But he didn't let that take the smile off his face. After all those years, he finally bested her, the wrench. He spat on her and turned around, raising his valid arms to greet the cheers of the crowd. He really wasn't a fighter, but he hoped he had at least put on a good show. He decided that he had when he saw all the people that mattered smiling.

All but one. Kaito looked mad. What was his problem? One minute ago he had been torn over the fact that Gakupo was getting his ass handed to him. Maybe he thought that this victory meant that he was going back to his old life?

Maybe he was. Gakupo had not entirely decided yet.

He walked over to Arin and Kaito, smiling so that he wouldn't show how much his back hurt.

"How did I look?"

"This was a show worthy of the arena," Arin said.

"What was the point?" Kaito was cute when he was mad. "You didn't have to make it last so long! Now you look like a mess."

"Aww, that's cute." Gakupo leaned in. "Worried about me?"

"No! But you just... Satan." Kaito hid his face. He was shaking. "Forget it."

That intrigued Gakupo. Had something happened to Kaito? Now that he was getting a closer look at him, he looked pale and skinny; worse than when he had seen him at the ball.

"We'll talk about it when I get patched up."

Gakupo patted Kaito's head and took his hand away before he was swatted. The other sent him a dark look that made him laugh. Oh, he certainly wasn't going to regret it. Kaito was going to make his life more interesting than it had been in a while.

Demons were starting to leave, but some wanted to talk to Gakupo before that. Those were mostly congratulations from people that he knew, although one or two wanted to know when he was available. He gave the latter his address and told them to send someone to his house later but, for now, recovery was in order.

He didn't think that he would be seeing anyone important today: court battles were not an entertainment considered by the elite. Not usually, at least.

That was why, when a demon stepped in front of him as he made his way to the door, he didn't recognize his regal stance nor his commanding gaze. Asmodeus had to reveal his true power to be recognized in his disguise, and when he did an imposing wave of magic washed unexpectedly over everyone.

Gakupo dropped to a knee immediately, bowing his head with respect. The people around them did so as well, paying their leader the respect that was his due.

"My Lord," he saluted. "Forgive me for not recognizing you."

"It is nothing. Stand."

Gakupo obeyed, taking a good look at Asmodeus' avatar. The Lord of Allacard had chosen a rather simple appearance, probably so that no one would suspect that it was him but, even as a common demon with minimal modifications, he remained stunning. There simply was this allure to him that drew in everyone around him.

"I must admit that I've been curious about that Kaito ever since you asked if you could borrow some of my powers again," he said.

Gakupo understood. He turned around to gently grab Kaito by the shoulders and guided him so that he would stand in front. The poor man didn't look like he was fairing well against Asmodeus' overpowering aura: his eyes were glossed over and his cheeks tinted red. He was still as sensitive as ever; the only thing that had changed was that he was slightly better at hiding it. How cute.

"My Lord," he half-spoke half muttered.

"Hm." Asmodeus grabbed his chin to make him turn his head. "You've changed since I last saw you."

Kaito looked confused but didn't dare question the Sin Lord. He didn't need to because Asmodeus knew how to read faces.

"You couldn't see me, but I was there when you killed him." He let him go. "Well then, I suppose using my powers were indeed worth it. Bring him to me some time. I wish to talk to him some more but here is hardly the place. Good day."

And with that, Asmodeus turned to leave. But Gakupo wasn't done.

"My Lord? How... how much?" he asked.

Asmodeus looked back over his shoulder. "Twenty." And that was the last thing he said before continuing on his way. The people stepped aside to let him pass.

Twenty. He knew it wouldn't be cheap, but _that much_... Gakupo suddenly wanted to go and lay down now, and have someone tend to his wounds. With how weak he felt, the sound of the chattering crowd was almost too much.

Arin caught him raising his hands to cover his ears, even if he never finished the entire gesture.

"Sir," the butler said, "the infirmary isn't far. Please follow me."

Gakupo was grateful to have something simple to do, following his faithful servant. He saluted the Bees on his way out but they understood that now wasn't the time to stop him for small chitchat. Kaito, probably because he didn't know what else to do, followed them without having to be told.

"That was Asmodeus?" asked Kaito when they were in the hallway.

Gakupo nodded.

"Oh, I imagined that he would be... more impressive than that."

Gakupo chuckled.

"What's so funny?"

"Miku haven't told you?"

"No?"

"Then that's something else that we can talk about when we are someplace quiet."

Thankfully, it was just as Arin had said: the infirmary wasn't far at all, something for which Gakupo was very grateful. _And_ the doctor was cute.

"What happened here?" he asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his long nose.

"Nothing really, just a double pair of torn out wings and some broken bones."

"Sounds pretty serious to me. Let's see what it looks like. Please sit here..."

Gakupo took out his shirt - carefully, for his arms - and sat on a stool. The doctor tutted and gave a few orders to his assistant, to get his sewing kit and some anti-pain medicine ready.

"Does it look bad?" asked Gakupo.

The doctor touched the wound a little, to examine it. Gakupo allowed himself to wince.

"You can see the joint bone back there. What happened?"

"They were torn out and eaten."

"Well, no getting sewing them back on. What type were they?"

"Bug wings, obviously." Gakupo scoffed. If the man was asking this question, then he probably didn't know who he was.

"Those are going to take a long time to grow back. Cleaning and sewing the wound is all we can do for now."

He got to work. Disinfecting the wound  _stung_ but Gakupo kept his teeth gritted. He glanced at Kaito and noticed that he was staring at the wall. This made him smile.

"Kaito," he called in a sing-song voice. "Didn't you have questions for me?"

The other seemed surprised that he was being called now. Arin brought a chair without having to be asked so that he could sit in front of Gakupo - yet Kaito did a great effort just to look at Gakupo's face.

He stared, and kept staring.

"Still a little shaken from having met Asmodeus?" Gakupo asked, amused.

"Oh, erm, yes, a bit." He looked down. "I would have never suspected him to be here."

There was a silence. Gakupo hissed softly when another rag was rubbed against his wound but this time it was the anaesthesia.

"What did he mean by twenty?" Kaito suddenly asked.

"Twenty years. Basically, I am working for him for that time, on top of my own profession."

"What?" Kaito's eyes widened. "You mean, as some sort of.. slave?"

"Oh, not exactly. But he likes to call on me to entertain his guests... free of charge, of course." Gakupo made a disdainful face. "This deal was in his favour, of course, it always is, but it was the only way. I was already paying him a depth from a contract before so he is the only demon whose power I can borrow."

"You made a contract with him?"

"Yes." Gakupo smiled. "When I was a human."

"Oh." Kaito paused. "That."

"That."

"You said before that Miku had not told me something... important about him?"

"Why he looked so unimpressive, as you said?"

"Yes."

"That's because he's in disguise. This wasn't his real body, just an avatar."

"Oh... what does he look like?"

"He's a rock."

Kaito's jaw dropped.

"Well," Gakupo elaborated, "I guess he looks more like a pillar of some sort. That thinks."

"A thinking pillar? How is that possible?"

"I don't know, I didn't study the question. There are scholars you can ask for that. I guess that's why he uses avatars: dealing with a talking pillar can be quite confusing. But you'll see him soon enough if he invites us for a visit as his mansion."

That seemed to pick Kaito's interest.

"Can I ask you something?" he said.

"Ask away."

"Do you think that he would be interested in signing a contract with me?"

This surprised Gakupo. There was something that Kaito wanted with Asmodeus' powers?

"I... don't think he would. They are highly sought after and he doesn't give them out easily. It would be better if you had some sort of special skill that he can use..."

"Like what?"

"What do I know? There is no way of truly reading him. I have one with him because he was interested in me in the first place, and he agreed to renew it because I became a sought after courtesan."

Kaito's shoulders slumped. "Ah... well, I guess it was a pointless idea after all."

"What do you want from him anyway? There are other demons that would consider making a contract with you for much less, I included."

He sneered at the idea. Rude.

"I want to get rid of all traces of Miku on me," Kaito answered.

"All traces?" It suddenly occurred to Gakupo. "Oh. The Greedflower."

The other nodded.

Gakupo chuckled. "Although, all things considered, being hopelessly attracted to me is a condition you share with many other demons in hell."

"It's not the same." Kaito's face became dark.

Suddenly Gakupo didn't want to laugh anymore. He enjoyed tormenting Kaito but when others did it he didn't think it was funny. Ever. Was he being possessive? Maybe, in a backward kind of way.

"We'll think of something," Gakupo said.

"We?"

"Why, of course. You're with me now."

Kaito's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You would help me?"

"Why not?"

"You have that smile again."

"What smile?" Gakupo tried his best to look innocent but he couldn't stop grinning.

"What do you want from me?"

Oh, so Kaito had become somewhat smarter since he had become Miku's pupil - that, or less deluded. The added challenge delighted Gakupo.

"I don't have to disclose that," he answered.

Kaito stood up. He was mad now, very mad, but he refrained from hitting Gakupo. Instead, he turned around and walked out.

Arin went after him and caught him outside the door. Gakupo listened in on their conversation, amused when Kaito refused to come back in the room with him. He had forgotten just how easy he was to mess with.

He didn't mind that Kaito didn't come back while he was getting fixed back up. He would have plenty of time to play with his new toy later; this was going to be fun.

**Author's Note:**

> "Takes place after the Lunacy of Duke Venomania." 
> 
> And then it gets a little wild. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this far! If you liked it, feel free to leave a kudos and/or a comment and I'll be back very soon with the next update.


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